U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel after nearly two weeks of fighting, but Iran says it will only stop if Israel ends its attacks.
On Monday evening, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that both countries had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” following 12 days of deadly conflict. He said the ceasefire would begin at midnight local time and be fully in place within 24 hours.
“This is a war that could have destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will,” Trump said, congratulating both countries for what he called “the stamina, courage, and intelligence” to end the war.
However, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, challenged Trump’s announcement. He said Iran had not agreed to any formal ceasefire yet. According to him, Iran’s military operations continued until 4 a.m. local time to “punish Israel for its aggression.”
He added that Iran was willing to stop further attacks—**but only if** Israel ends its military actions against Iran by the same time.
“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Araghchi said.
The war, which lasted 12 days, raised fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. The U.S. was heavily involved in diplomatic efforts to bring both sides to the table.
Though Trump insists a deal has been reached, both Israel and Iran have not officially confirmed the ceasefire. All eyes are now on whether the midnight timeline will hold, or if fresh fighting will break out.
