...
By Tom O'Connor, Gabe Whisnant, and Anna Commander
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump coordinated with Qatari leadership to secure the ceasefire agreement he announced Monday between Iran and Israel following a retaliatory Iranian missile strike on America's largest military base in the Middle East, according to a diplomat briefed on the development.
"The deal was coordinated at the highest level by the President and Vice President and the Qatari Emir and Prime Minister directly," the diplomat told Newsweek.
Israel's government has yet to publicly comment on the development. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had agreed to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire.
Read More on Politics
The Iranian Mission to the United Nations declined Newsweek's request for comment. Newsweek has also reached out to an Israeli official.
Trump unveiled the deal on Monday in a post to his Truth Social platform, hours after Iran launched a number of ballistic missiles against the U.S. military's Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The Iranian operation followed an unprecedented series of direct U.S. strikes ordered by Trump on Saturday targeting three key Iranian nuclear facilities.
The U.S. leader said the deal would put an end within 24 hours to what he called the "12-day war" amid back-and-forth strikes launched by Iran and Israel after Tehran commenced operations on June 12 targeting sites and personnel tied to the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and armed forces.
Trump appeared to indicate that Israel and Iran would be given time to finish any ongoing operations before a phased ceasefire would take effect.
...
Why It Matters
The strikes from the United States over the weekend against Iran mark the first direct U.S. military involvement in the escalating Israel-Iran war that began earlier this month.
Following the U.S. air assault, Trump said on Truth Social that "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran." The facilities targeted include the nuclear enrichment facilities of Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow, the latter being a heavily fortified compound up to 300 feet below a mountain outside the city of Qom.
The strike was carried out by B-2 stealth bombers using the Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP), a 15-ton bomb long been assessed as the only conventional munition capable of inflicting lasting damage to the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Iranian officials have always denied seeking a nuclear weapon. Officials from Israel, which is widely believed to possess a nuclear arsenal, have alleged that the country had amassed enough nuclear material to produce up to 15 bombs, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order a "preemptive" campaign against Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched hundreds of strikes across Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, military sites and killing senior personnel, including military commanders and nuclear scientists. Military tensions between the two countries have rapidly heightened in the days since, with Iran launching hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel.
What To Know
In a post on Truth Social Trump announced the deal, saying, "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!"
The president outlined that Iran would start the ceasefire and Israel would join at the 12th hour. Trump continued, "upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World."
Concluding, the president added: "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!"
Qatar, along with much of the Arab world, condemned the Iranian missile strike against Al Udeid. Most regional countries have also condemned Israel for its attacks on Iran.
Two U.S. defense officials told Newsweek that no U.S. casualties were reported from the Iranian missile strike, said to have been carried out using short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Qatari officials issued statements backing the reports, while acknowledging one out of 19 projectiles struck the U.S. military facility.
Trump offered a different figure of 14 missiles fired by Iran, all but one of which had been intercepted. Yet he also downplayed the attack as "very weak," and thanked Tehran for what he described as "early notice" provided to the U.S. ahead of the strikes on Monday, "which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured."
He expressed optimism that Tehran—with its counterstrike to the U.S. bombing of the Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday—had "gotten it all out of their 'system,'" and voiced hope the exchange would mark a turning point toward de-escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
"Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same," Trump said.
...
What People Are Saying
Vice President JD Vance posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Thanks to President Trump's bold leadership, the Iranian nuclear program has been obliterated and the 12 Day War is over. This is a historic moment and a massive step toward lasting peace in the Middle East."
Speaking on Iranian state television, an overnight anchor repeatedly referred to a "Trump-claimed" ceasefire, without saying whether Tehran accepted it. The anchor noted, according to the Associated Press (AP): "Simultaneously with Trump's claim of a ceasefire, the Zionist enemy targeted several points in the cities of Tehran, Urmia and Rasht, including a residential area in the capital."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X an AP headline of the news and wrote that Trump "has accomplished what no other president in history could ever imagine — the obliteration of the Iranian Regime's nuclear program, and an unprecedented ceasefire between Israel and Iran."
Harry Sisson, a liberal social media influencer, posted to X: "Trump has announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. He is, once again, celebrating fixing a problem he created. The Trump cycle is:
1. Create a problem
2. Fix the problem
3. MAGA celebrates him
Every single time."
What Happens Next
Israel's preferred outcome is for Iran to agree to a ceasefire and resume negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program, an official told AP. But Israel is also prepared for the alternative—a prolonged, low-intensity conflict or a period of "quiet for quiet," during which it would maintain close surveillance of Iranian activity and respond with force if new threats emerge.
With no official confirmation of the deal from either Iran or Israel, and a lingering window for hostilities, peace remains far from guaranteed.
This article includes reporting by AP.
Update: 6/23/25, 8:43 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and comments.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines