Trump says Iran and Israel agree to a ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a "complete and total" ceasefire between Israel and Iran, intended to bring an end to what he termed "THE 12 DAY WAR." This declaration came shortly after both nations had threatened further attacks.
Trump, speaking on his Truth Social platform, indicated that the ceasefire would be implemented in a phased manner. He suggested that both Israel and Iran would have a limited time to conclude any ongoing military operations before the truce commenced. He congratulated both countries for their "Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence" in agreeing to end the conflict, which he believed "could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East."
Neither the Iranian U.N. mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington immediately commented on Trump's announcement. However, hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled their intention to conclude their campaign in Iran soon, a message conveyed to the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that Israel was "very, very close to completing" its objectives. A senior Iranian official later confirmed to Reuters that Tehran had agreed to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire.
This ceasefire follows a period of escalating hostilities. Over the weekend, U.S. bombers used 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities, directly joining Israel's ongoing aerial campaign against Iran. Iran retaliated with a missile attack on a U.S. air base in Qatar, which reportedly caused no injuries, with Trump thanking Tehran for providing early notice of the strikes.
The news of the ceasefire was met positively by financial markets. S&P 500 futures rose by 0.4% late on Monday, indicating an expected gain for the U.S. stock market on Tuesday. Conversely, U.S. crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in over a week, as concerns about potential oil supply disruptions in the region eased with the announcement of a truce.
|