Trump announces ceasefire is 'now in effect' between Israel and Iran urging sides 'please do not violate it'

23 June 2025, 23:14 | Updated: 24 June 2025, 09:20

Donald Trump has claimed Israel and Iran have agreed a "total ceasefire" in the wake of thwarted Iranian strikes on a US air base in Qatar.

The ceasefire will begin early on Tuesday morning, Trump claims, marking an end to what he has named "The 12-Day War."

However, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi claimed there is "no agreement" on a ceasefire with Israel.

Mr Araghchi said on X the country has "has no intention" to continue its response provided the Israeli regime "stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people".

He added: "The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later."

Despite this, Iranian state television says a ceasefire in its war with Israel has now begun on Tuesday morning.

Israel's Defence Forces said Iran launched a new round of missiles on its territory overnight.

Israelis in Tel Aviv were alerted to take shelter as explosions were heard over the city.

Read More: LIVE: Trump calls for 'peace and harmony' in the Middle East after Iran launches strike on US military base in Qatar

Overnight strikes were reported in both countries, as four were killed in southern Israel after Iranian missile hit a residential building in Beersheba, medics reported.

Nine people were killed on Tuesday morning by Israeli strikes in northern Iran, an official has told the Tasnim news agency.

It comes after Iranian state TV announced operation "Annunciation of Victory" after launching a series of missiles at the Al Udeid air base in Qatar on Monday night.

Iran informed the US of the attack before it took place, and no one was injured in the strikes.

Taking to Truth Social following the attacks, Donald Trump said Israel and Iran have come to a "complete and total ceasefire agreement."

He wrote: "CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!

"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.

"During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL. 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! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!

He earlier wrote: "Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered.

"There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was “set free,” because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction.

"I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done.

"Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their “system,” and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured.

"Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

"DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

According to the Qatari government, the attacks on Al Udeid were thwarted by air defence systems.

A statement read: "The State of Qatar strongly condemns the attack that targeted Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

"We consider this a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter.

"We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law.

"We reassure that Qatar’s air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles.

"A detailed statement regarding the circumstances of the attack will be issued later by the Ministry of Defense."

Qatar has strongly condemned the attacks and says it reserves the right to respond to the strikes.

A US defence official said: "I can confirm that al-Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran today. At this time, there are no reports of US casualties.

"We are monitoring this situation closely and will provide more information as it becomes available"

Air raid sirens were also heard in Bahrain and Kuwait following the strikes.

UK Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said: "This is a fast-changing situation and we are monitoring it closely," after Iran attacked a US airbase in Qatar.

Pollard was giving a statement to the Commons about protecting UK military bases in the region, and began giving his statement just minutes before Iran launched its missiles.

He told MPs "the UK government utterly condemns any escalation," and that he can't give any further details.

"We have put force protection measures at its highest level to safeguard our personnel in the region," he said, adding: "We have robust measures in place to protect our armed forces personnel and their safety is our top priority."

French President Emmanuel Macron called for an immediate return to the negotiating table following the strikes.

He said: "I express France's solidarity with Qatar, which has been struck by Iran on its soil. I am in close contact with the country's authorities and our partners in the region.

"I call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, de-escalate, and return to the negotiating table. This spiral of chaos must end."

Iran has said it will continue attacks over the coming days as it responds to America's attempts to cripple its nuclear programme.

It comes after Qatar temporarily closed its airspace, which it said was out of “an abundance of caution,” and the UK and US warned their citizens in the country to take shelter.

The attacks came shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution amid threats from Iran.

Just before the explosions, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: "We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer."

Iran launches missiles on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq

In the past, Iran has threatened American forces at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of the US military's Central Command.

Qatar, across the Persian Gulf from Iran, maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Tehran.

Earlier in the day, Israel expanded its war against Iran to include targets associated with the country's struggling theocracy, striking the gate of a Tehran prison notorious for holding political activists and hitting the headquarters of the military force that suppressed recent protests.

Following Iran's latest attack, former British foreign secretary Jack Straw told LBC: "The regime feels humiliated and they're now just trying to strike out in any way they can. It's not a rational response, but this regime has not been very rational for a number of years.

"At the head of the regime is Ayatollah Khamenei, who's 86, he's in poor health, he's surrounded these days by acolytes who will be telling him things that he wants to hear. He's deeply bitter. He hates Israel with a completely irrational hatred for reasons which few people even in Iran understand. And then you've got around him his Praetorian Guard, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, who are themselves will be pretty desperate because they know that if there is regime change, unless they're part of it, which is possible in Iran, that the game will be up for them. So they are now striking out.

"We are likely to expect more of this as the Iranians try to show that they have the power which they said they had going back two to three years ago when they had this apparently impenetrable defensive strategy using proxies in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Israel, as well as the Houthis, who are still in business in the Red Sea".

The latest strikes unfolded only hours after President Donald Trump openly raised the possibility himself after just a day earlier inserting America into the war with its unprecedented stealth-bomber strike on three Iranian nuclear sites.

"If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" he asked on his Truth Social website.