Israel-Iran live: Trump declares total ceasefire in ‘12-day war'; Iran vows to stop attacks if Israel does
US president Donald Trump has claimed that Israel and Iran have agreed to a 'complete and total' ceasefire, set to begin around 12am Eastern time on Tuesday after both sides wind down their final offensive missions.
Israel has not yet publicly confirmed such a deal, while Iranian state TV has reportedly confirmed entrance into some kind of ceasefire agreement, though its exact terms are unclear.
Iran said as long as Israel stopped attacks by 4am (local time), Tehran would halt its offensive. However, nearly an hour after that deadline, Israel's military sounded sirens and claimed Tehran fired a wave of ballistic missiles.
The apparent truce comes after Iran launched missile strikes on a US base in Qatar on Monday, part of its avowed revenge against Washington for bombing its facilities at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz the previous day.
Following the retaliatory attack, Mr Trump posted on Truth Social: ' Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered.'
Iranian minister says Tehran fired missiles up to 'very last minute'
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in his latest post on X said Tehran's military operation to "punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am".
"Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute," Mr Araghchi said.
US president Donald Trump has claimed that Israel and Iran have agreed to a 'complete and total' ceasefire, set to begin around 12am Eastern time today.
Iran said as long as Israel stopped attacks by 4am (local time), Tehran would halt its offensive. However, nearly an hour after that deadline, Israel's military sounded sirens and claimed Tehran fired a wave of ballistic missiles.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar24 June 2025 04:11
Strikes allegedly continued as ceasefire deadline neared
Missiles from Iran continued to head towards Israel as the apparent deadline for a ceasefire between the two nations approached.
US President Donald Trump said the truce would begin around 12am Eastern US time, but with that start point about two hours away, the Israel Defense Forces said missiles from Iran had 'recently' been launched.
Adding to the confusion, Iran seemed to announce a temporary end to operations against Israel an hour before the IDF posted on X about the missiles.
'The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am [local time]' Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, part of a series of messages claiming Iran had not in fact agreed to the ceasefire terms described by Trump, though it nonetheless would temporarily pause attack.
Regardless of these final tense moments, by Tuesday morning, Iranian state television reportedly had formally announced it had agreed to a ceasefire with Israel.
Josh Marcus24 June 2025 04:10
Iran fires missiles at Israel after Trump's ceasefire announcement
The Israeli military has detected a wave of Iranian ballistic missiles, more than an hour after Tehran allegedly agreed to a ceasefire announced by US president Donald Trump.
Sirens were sounded in different parts of Israel and air defences were activated this morning, according to local reports.
The Israeli military has acknowledged that it would take time for both sides to wind down their military operations.
The ceasefire brokered by Qatar came after the island nation was attacked by Iran with a salvo of missiles aimed at the vast US Al Udeid military base there.
The Iranian attack was entirely symbolic and telegraphed to the US and Qatar in advance by Iran. All the missiles were shot down and caused little to no damage.
Sam Kiley24 June 2025 03:53
White House offers brief rationale for Iran strike, but questions remain over legality
On Monday evening, the White House published a brief, legally mandated memo outlining the justifications for its strike on Iran over the weekend.
'I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad as well as in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests,' the memo from the president reads. 'I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct United States foreign relations.'
The four-paragraph message is unlikely to quiet criticisms from mainly Democrats in Congress that President Trump attacked Iran without getting the requisite permission from the legislature to engage in an act of war.
Josh Marcus24 June 2025 03:45
UN Secretary-General condemns Iran strikes on Qatar
The Secretary-General of the UN criticized Iran on Monday for strikes in Qatar that targeted a US air base, in what may be one of the final strikes of the brief Israel-Iran war.
'I am deeply alarmed by the further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East,' António Guterres wrote on X on Monday. 'I strongly condemn today's attack by Iran on Qatar, a country that has been active for peace in the region and further afield.'
24 June 2025 03:10
Iran: 'no agreement' on ceasefire but 'no intention' to launch more strikes
Iran is pushing back on President Trump's claims that a hard ceasefire has been reached between Tehran and Israel.
'As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,' Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X about an hour ago. 'However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards. The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.'
'The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am,' he later wrote. 'Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute.'
Josh Marcus24 June 2025 02:52
ICYMI: Trump rages at former Russian leader for threat to supply Iran with nukes
President Donald Trump on Monday hailed America's 'powerful' and 'lethal' nuclear-powered submarine fleet as he condemned Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev's suggestion that Moscow and Iran's allies could provide Iran with nuclear warheads following U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear facilities.
Medvedev — who served as Russia's president from 2008 to 2012 and as prime minister from 2012 to 2020 — had criticized the attack on Iran's Fordow, Esfahan and Natanz facilities that had been carried out on Saturday by seven B-2 bombers and a group of fighter aircraft accompanying them into American airspace.
He wrote that 'a number of countries' were 'ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads' as a result of the U.S. strikes, which were intended to degrade or destroy Iran's capacity to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels and assemble working nuclear or thermonuclear weapons.
Trump reacted with incredulity on his Truth Social platform on Monday.
'Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the 'N word' (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran?' the president wrote.
Trump hits back at ex-Russian leader Medvedev over nuclear threats to help Iran
President boasts of US submarine capacity after ex-Russian president suggested other nations could send warheads to Iran
Josh Marcus24 June 2025 02:30
War with Israel prompted rush in Tehran to name Khamenei's successor
Strikes from Israel and then the US in recent days kicked off a swift round of succession planning in Iran for a continuation of leadership if the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed or otherwise unable to rule.
Khamenei reportedly has selected potential replacements for key military commanders and directed a top religious body to choose his successor from a list of three senior clerics, The New York Times reports.
It is unclear how the recently announced ceasefire will impact such planning.
24 June 2025 02:00
State Department has evacuated 250 Americans from Israel in last three days
Approximately 250 U.S. citizens and their family members have been evacuated from Israel on seven flights since June 21, the State Department announced on Monday.
Josh Marcus24 June 2025 01:40
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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Status of ceasefire unclear after Iranian missile barrage strikes Israel after a first deadline
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a 'complete and total ceasefire' soon after Iran launched a retaliatory limited missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar. But the status of a possible ceasefire remained tentative on Tuesday as an Iranian missile barrage struck Israel after a first deadline for the proposal. The Iranian barrages sent Israelis hurrying into bomb shelters as the sun rose, killing at least four people and injuring eight others, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue services said. Israel has yet to acknowledge Trump's proposal, which gives Israel more time to potentially strike back though Iran on its state television announced an overall ceasefire had begun at 7:30 a.m. local time. The barrage damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in the city of Beersheba, police said. First responders said they retrieved four bodies from one building and were searching for more. Outside, the shells of burned out cars littered the streets. Broken glass and rubble covered the area. Hundreds of emergency workers gathered to search for anyone else trapped in the buildings. Police said some people were injured even while inside their apartments' reinforced safe rooms, which are meant to withstand rockets and shrapnel but not direct hits from ballistic missiles. The direct hit in the largest city in southern Israel came just days after the city's hospital sustained significant damage in a missile strike. The Israeli military said people could leave bomb shelters but cautioned the public to stay close to shelter for the coming hours. Trump says ceasefire is in effect Trump's announcement that Israel and Iran had agreed to a 'complete and total ceasefire' came soon after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites. The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties. Trump's announcement on Truth Social said the ceasefire beginning about midnight Washington time would bring an 'Official END' to the war. Israel doesn't confirm ceasefire but appears to pause strikes Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire, but there were no reports of Israeli strikes in Iran after 4 a.m. in Tehran. Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Iranian cities until shortly before that time. Under the Trump plan, Israel was to halt its attacks on Iran by 1:30 p.m. Tehran time. There's been no report of Israel launching attacks against Iran since early Tuesday morning. Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire, but there were no reports of Israeli strikes in Iran after 4 a.m. in Tehran. Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Iranian cities until shortly before that time. The Israeli military declined to comment on Trump's ceasefire statement and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. 'As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X. 'However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.' His message was posted at 4:16 a.m. Tehran time. Araghchi added: 'The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.' Writing over an hour after the first phase of the tentative ceasefire, which called for Iran to halt its attacks, Trump added: 'THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!' Trump describes conflict as '12 Day War' Trump gave the conflict between Israel and Iran a name: the '12 Day War.' That recalls the 1967 Mideast war, known by some as the 'Six Day War,' in which Israel fought a group of Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Trump's reference carries emotional weight for the Arab world, particularly Palestinians. In the 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria. Though Israel later gave the Sinai back to Egypt, it still holds the other territories. Trump communicated directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the ceasefire, according to a senior White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the Monday talks. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff communicated with the Iranians through direct and indirect channels. The White House has maintained that the Saturday bombing helped get the Israelis to agree to the ceasefire and that the Qatari government helped to broker the deal. It's unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's leader, played in the talks. He said earlier on social media that he would not surrender. Attacks from Iran forces temporary closure of Israel's skies Israel's Airports Authority said Iran's barrage forced them to close the country's airspace to emergency flights for several hours. Some flights were forced to circle over the Mediterranean Sea, according to Israeli media. Israel's airports have been closed since the war with Iran began, but a handful of emergency flights started arriving and departing over the past few days. By early Tuesday, Qatar Airways resumed its flights after Qatar shut down its airspace over the Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base. Flight-tracking data showed commercial aircraft again flying in Qatari airspace, signaling Doha believed the threat on the energy-rich nation had passed. Conflict has killed hundreds In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from Iranian unrest such as the protests surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, said of those killed, it identified 387 civilians and 268 security force personnel. The U.S. has evacuated some 250 American citizens and their immediate family members from Israel by government, military and charter flights that began over the weekend, a State Department official said. There are roughly 700,000 American citizens, most of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, believed to be in Israel. ___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad, Abby Sewell in Beirut, Elise Morton in London, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Ella Joyner in Brussels, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna contributed to this report.
Reuters
32 minutes ago
- Reuters
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Sky News
32 minutes ago
- Sky News
Iranian state media says ceasefire with Israel has begun, after night of deadly strikes
Iranian state television says a ceasefire in its war with Israel has now begun, following a night of missile strikes. Israel's ambulance service says at least four people were killed, with footage from southern Israel showing extensive damage to what appeared to be a residential building. Sirens sounded in several areas - and members of the public who received an alert were ordered to take shelter - with explosions heard over Tel Aviv. Early on Tuesday morning, US President Donald Trump declared: "The ceasefire is now in effect. Please do not violate it!" The message on Truth Social followed a series of posts on Monday, in which the US President declared that a "complete and total ceasefire" had been agreed upon between the two countries and would begin at approximately 5 am UK time. In a post on X, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, confirmed that Tehran "has no intention" to continue its response - provided the Israeli regime "stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people". Israeli media reports suggested Benjamin Netanyahu was also on board - provided Iran stops firing missiles towards the country - but there has been no official confirmation. Mr Trump had written: "Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World. "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.' "This is a war that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn't, and never will!" 2:58 In an interview with Sky News' partner network NBC, the president said it was a "great day" for the US and the Middle East - and a "wonderful day" for the world. "I'm very happy to have been able to get the job done. A lot of people were dying, and it was only going to get worse. It would have brought the whole Middle East down," he said. Mr Trump said he thinks the ceasefire is "unlimited" and is "going to go forever" - adding: "I don't believe they will ever be shooting at each other again." Analysis: Seasoned diplomats startled at developments I've spoken to a diplomat involved in the fast-moving developments of the past 12 hours. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to speak publicly, told me that Donald Trump called the Emir of Qatar yesterday evening. Trump told the emir that he had a commitment from Israel that it would cease its attacks on Iran. Trump asked the emir to try to secure the same commitment from the Iranians. The Qatari PM and vice president JD Vance engaged on the details of what they hoped could be achieved. The Qatari PM then spoke to Iranians (it's not clear who within the Iranian power structure the Qataris spoke to, and my source wouldn't say). The Iranians agreed to stop their attacks. Shortly after, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted the confirmation, saying: "The military operations of our powerful armed forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am. "Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave armed forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute." My source could not comment on the complex timeline (six hours, 12 hours, 24 hours) laid out in Donald Trump's Truth Social post, but it's thought that this might have been overtaken now by agreements made by Trump, the Israelis, the Iranians, and Qatar. Time will tell. It's clear from the tone of the messages I have had from various sources that the pace and style of the developments of the past 12 to 24 hours have left even these seasoned diplomats startled. Messages from several Middle Eastern diplomats have included emojis reflecting exasperation, surprise and bewilderment. Just hours earlier, people in the Qatari capital Doha had stopped and gazed up at the sky as Iranian missiles flew to the American al Udeid base and interceptors fired. Officials said there were no casualties, and the US later confirmed it had been warned about the attack by Iran. Mr Trump was in the Situation Room in the White House as the strikes took place. He later claimed on his social network that the missiles were a "very weak response", which the US "expected" and "very effectively countered". The Iranian attack came after the US dropped "bunker buster bombs" on three key nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend. In a new interview on Fox News, US Vice President JD Vance claimed Iran is no longer able to build nuclear weapons after the American attacks.
