WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday declared that the “12-day war” between Israel and Iran will end in a ceasefire, and held an announcement as a testament to his strategic gambling that he orders catastrophic US airstrikes at three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
“It is entirely agreed that there will be a complete and complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran,” Trump posted on social media. There were no immediate words from either country regarding the ceasefire. The terms of the announced transaction were unknown.
The White House reposted Trump’s announcement with a photo of the president wearing a red hat, in all capital letters, saying, “Trump is right about everything.”
The ceasefire will be welcome news for the region and the world. However, the situation in the Middle East remained stable and it was impossible to predict how long-term dynamics would be affected. The US bombings of Israel and Iran have certainly slowed Iran’s ability to enrich nuclear material, but they may have fostered Tehran’s resolve to break out towards the bomb.
As Trump explained, the ceasefire began in Iran, with Israel joining 12 hours later, with the president writing that each side “being peaceful and respectful.” The gradual ceasefire began around midnight in Washington and was set to peak within 24 hours.
“This was a war that had been going on for years, destroying the entire Middle East, but not and will never do that!” Trump said.
The video appears to show missiles intercepted in the sky above Qatar
The exact conditions for the ceasefire other than the timeline provided by Trump remained seen. On Sunday, the Trump administration insisted on abandoning programs that enrich the possibility of nuclear weapons use as a state of lasting peace. The bombing of Ford, Natanz and Isfahan facilities was a show of powerful forces, but it remained uncertain how much nuclear material Iran still owned and what its ambitions would continue to do in the future.
Vice President JD Vance said in a television interview as the ceasefire was announced to reflect on the Israeli-Iran war and the war with the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities as “a moment of reset that is important for the whole region.”
Appearing on Fox News Channel’s Special Report, the vice president said the Trump administration hopes Iranians have learned important lessons.
The announcement of the ceasefire comes after Iran attempted to retaliate for a US attack on Monday’s missile strike aimed at the main US military facility in the Gulf of Qatar nation. Trump thanked Iran on social media for giving the US and allies “early notifications” of retaliation.
In retaliation for the US bombing of three important Iranian nuclear facilities, the president expressed hope that Tehran “has got it all from their ‘systems” and that the moment would lead to Israeli-Ira’s departure from the war.
“We are pleased to report that Americans have never been harmed and that there has been little damage,” Trump said on social media. “I would like to thank Iran for notifying us early. It allowed us not to lose our lives and not anyone was injured. Perhaps Iran can proceed to peace and harmony in the region. I sincerely encourage Israel to do the same.”
Iran’s attacks on US forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar marked the first act of Tehran’s direct retaliation against the United States since Trump ordered a strike at Iran’s nuclear facility.
Leon Panetta, CIA director and secretary of defense under former President Barack Obama, said Iran’s suppressed response suggests “their ability to respond has probably been rather severely damaged.” He also said it was a potential signal “they are not interested in escalating war with Israel or the United States.”
Trump said Iran launched 14 missiles at the base. The facility hosted the front headquarters of the US military’s central headquarters and was a major staging position during the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The base has around 8,000 US troops, down from about 10,000 at the height of those wars.
The president said 13 Iranian missiles had been “knocked down” by the US air defense system, but one “was “freed” because they were “directed in a threatless direction.”
Hours before Iran launched the attack on Monday, the US embassy in Qatar issued a warning on a website urging American citizens in an energy-rich country to “evacuate until further notice.” The Qatar government has issued an extraordinary order to close busy airspace.
The attack was as global markets were trying to see what went forward after attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend with a barrage of bombs and Tomahawk missiles destroying 30,000 pound bunkers.
Iran’s parliament has approved the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow transport lane in the Persian Gulf, where around 20% of global oil and gas passes. The move means that Iran’s national security council will have to decide whether to move the idea forward, which could lead to rushing costs for goods and services around the world.
Trump’s post didn’t address what would happen with regard to shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, but many energy analysts were skeptical that Iran had closed its shipping lane as it could disrupt China, the biggest buyer of Iran’s crude oil.
Financial markets appeared to respond to tension on a mild relative measure. By Monday afternoon, oil prices had almost returned to where they had been before the battle began more than a week ago.
Earlier on Monday, Trump called on the US and allied oil producers to pump more oil and “lower oil prices.”
The US and allies led Russia, led by the threat to the oil industry of Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, after which many Western oil companies were drawn out of the country, with the US and Europe imposing sanctions on the Russian industry.
The surge in energy and food prices following the Russian invasion has strengthened inflation, damaging the public recognition of then-President Joe Biden, and setting the way for Trump to return to the White House in last year’s election.
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