President Trump announces ceasefire between Iran and Israel, marking an “end” to the 12-day conflict

June 23, 2025 | WASHINGTON, D.C. President Donald Trump announced today that Israel and Iran have agreed to a complete and total ceasefire, officially ending a 12-day war that had drawn global concern and threatened to engulf the region in broader conflict.

According to Trump, Iran will initiate the ceasefire within six hours, halting its ongoing missions. Israel will follow with its own 12-hour ceasefire, and after 24 hours of mutual calm, the war will be considered over.

“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. “God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”

The ceasefire follows a decisive weekend in which the United States launched major airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure — including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. While the U.S. was not responsible for starting the war, those strikes dramatically shifted the conflict’s direction and placed immense pressure on Tehran to back down.

The war began on June 13, when Israel carried out targeted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, citing credible intelligence that Iran was on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, striking Israeli territory and launching an intercepted barrage at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a key U.S. military hub.

Trump’s announcement made clear that the ceasefire was a mutual agreement between Israel and Iran, not a unilateral U.S. directive. Still, many credit the U.S. show of force with creating the conditions for diplomacy to succeed.