US President Donald Trump says Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire, signaling a possible end to nearly two weeks of air assaults by the two countries.
The agreement described by Trump involved two 12-hour ceasefire periods, starting with Iran “when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Israel would then follow with a second 12-hour ceasefire, the president added.
After 24 hours, the war would be officially declared ended, according to Trump.
Trump’s surprise ceasefire announcement came two days after the U.S. joined Israel’s war, launching strikes on three Iranian nuclear targets.
The war began June 12 when Israel launched a series of strikes against Iran that included dozens of military targets, including the country’s nuclear program. Calling it a “preemptive” strike, Israel cited intelligence that it said indicated Iran had “significantly advanced” toward obtaining a nuclear weapon, allegations which Iran denied.
“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR,'” Trump wrote in the post.
Neither Israeli nor Iranian officials immediately made public comment on the proposal.
In the hours before the ceasefire was set to go into effect, according to the terms described by Trump, Israel said Iran had launched a barrage of missiles, killing at least three people.
Earlier on social media, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi had denied there was a ceasefire agreement. However, he said if Israel halted its strikes by 4 a.m. Tehran time “we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”
Araghchi said a final decision on ending Iran’s military operations would be made later. He thanked Iranian military who he said “responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute.”
