WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel and Iran have successfully reached a ceasefire agreement to end the 12-day war that has sparked the fears of further escalation in the Middle East.
Trump shared the statement on Truth Social, saying: “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’.”
The development comes days after the US joined Israel in attacking three Iranian nuclear sites after alleging Tehran was closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon.
While an Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, the country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there would be no ceasefire unless Israel stopped its attacks.
“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Araghchi said in a statement on X at 4:16 a.m. local time, adding that if Israel stopped its aggression “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 minister said.
On the other hand, Israel has not publicly confirmed that they have accepted ceasefire.
Earlier in the day, Trump thanked Iran for giving the United States advance notice of the missile attack on America’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
He wrote on social media that Trump “made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured.”
Following the ceasefire announcement, oil prices slumped to their lowest level in more than a week on Tuesday.
Brent crude futures fell $2.69 or 3.76% to $68.79 a barrel as of 0006 GMT, after falling more than 4% earlier in the session and touching its lowest level since June 11, Reuters reported.
