President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total” ceasefire, signalling what could be the end of a twelve-day escalation that has threatened to engulf the wider Middle East. The announcement, made via the President’s official Truth Social account on Monday evening (Washington time), came after days of U.S.-led airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and retaliatory missile attacks from Tehran.
According to President Trump, the ceasefire was brokered through “intensive and personal diplomacy” involving direct communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and unnamed intermediaries in contact with Iranian officials. He described the agreement as “phased,” with Iran expected to halt hostilities within twelve hours, followed by Israel twelve hours later, culminating in a full ceasefire to be completed within 24 hours.
“This war is over,” Trump wrote. “A strong deal has been reached with the full cooperation of both sides. Peace begins immediately.”
However, no official statement confirming the agreement has yet been issued by either Israel or Iran, and multiple reports from international correspondents on the ground suggest that military operations continued overnight. Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit targets in southern Lebanon and near Damascus in the early hours of Tuesday, while Iranian-backed militias have not shown signs of de-escalation along the Syrian and Iraqi borders.
Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied the ceasefire directly, although Iranian state media carried reports that officials were “reviewing options for de-escalation,” and hinted at a possible diplomatic path being coordinated through Qatar. Iran’s missile attack on the U.S. air base in Al Udeid, Qatar, over the weekend, was described by state outlets as a “measured response” to the earlier U.S. strikes on the country’s nuclear infrastructure.
The Biden-era War Powers Act was invoked by critics in Congress, arguing that Trump had failed to seek Congressional approval before launching the attacks on Iranian facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Esfahan. While the President has maintained the strikes were defensive in nature and necessary to prevent an “imminent threat,” legal analysts and several senators have called for a special session to examine the administration’s actions.
Despite the ambiguity surrounding the ceasefire’s authenticity, global markets reacted swiftly. Oil prices, which had spiked dramatically during the conflict, began to fall as news of a potential truce spread. The Australian dollar climbed against the U.S. dollar, while stock markets across Asia and Europe opened higher on Tuesday, buoyed by hopes that the risk of a broader regional war was receding.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the news cautiously, stating that any steps toward de-escalation were positive, but warned that the ceasefire “must be verifiable, lasting, and supported by all parties.” Foreign Minister Penny Wong added that Australia remained “deeply concerned” about the humanitarian impact of the conflict and would continue to monitor developments closely through diplomatic channels.
The announcement also comes amidst rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Greece, Cyprus and Turkey have reacted differently to the conflict’s implications. Greece and Cyprus, aligned with Western positions, have expressed concern over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and supported calls for restraint. Turkey, on the other hand, has criticised the U.S. strikes and called for an immediate regional conference to address “imperialist interventions.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s claim to have “personally ended” the conflict has sparked controversy back home. While some Republican lawmakers praised the President’s efforts, others, including independent and Democratic senators, demanded transparency and formal documentation of the ceasefire process. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday revealed that 84% of Americans are concerned about potential war in the Middle East, with 63% unsure whether the administration’s response had been justified.
With no confirmed ceasefire on the ground, many analysts remain sceptical about whether the conflict has truly ended. Satellite images released Tuesday morning appeared to show ongoing Israeli military activity in the Golan Heights, while reports from Lebanon described the mobilisation of Hezbollah units in southern districts. In Iraq, U.S. forces remain on high alert amid fears of retaliatory strikes from Iranian-aligned militias.
Diplomatic efforts are now expected to shift towards the United Nations, where a draft resolution proposed by Russia and China calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities, condemnation of the U.S. strikes, and the initiation of multilateral talks on regional security.
Whether Trump’s ceasefire declaration marks the beginning of peace or is simply a premature political statement remains to be seen. For now, the situation remains fluid, and despite the President’s optimistic tone, the guns on the ground have not yet fallen silent.
