U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday declared the “12 day war” between Israel and Iran as likely ending in a ceasefire, validating the strategic gamble of U.S. airstrikes this weekend on three Iranian nuclear sites.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump posted on social media.
Neither country officially confirmed the ceasefire publicly, but an unnamed Iranian official confirmed to Reuters that Iran had agreed to the Qatari-mediated ceasefire.
Trump said the ceasefire would start with Iran and then be joined by Israel 12 hours later.
The respective sides would “remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
If the phased-in ceasefire does, indeed, materialize, the war could end as soon as Wednesday.
“This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!” Trump said.
The announcement came after Iran fired retaliatory airstrikes against a U.S. airbase in Qatar. Local officials said of 19 missiles fired, one hit the base, and Trump later confirmed no Americans were harmed and “hardly any damage was done.”
Trump separately thanked Iran on social media for giving the U.S. and allies “early notice” of the retaliation.
The U.S. president expressed hope that Tehran had “gotten it all out of their ‘system'” and that the moment would lead to a de-escalation in the Israel-Iran war.
“Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The Iranian attack on U.S. forces at Qatar’s Al Udeid airbase marked Tehran’s first act of direct retaliation against the U.S. since Trump ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities this past weekend.
