‘Complete and total ceasefire’: Trump announces end of Israel-Iran conflict; says ’12-day war’ could have continued for years

Donald Trump (PTI photo)

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday (local time) that its ally Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” which would be phased in over 24 hours.He called the conflict between the Asian rivals the “12-day war.”“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!,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.According to the US leader, the Islamic Republic will begin the ceasefire, and after 12 hours, the Jewish State will join in, and after 12 more hours, “an official end to the 12-day War will be saluted by the world.”

“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!,” Trump added.However, neither Israel nor Iran has made any comments about a pending cessation in hostilities. The conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion”. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated a large-scale drone and missile campaign called ‘Operation True Promise 3’, targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.Tensions escalated further after the US conducted precision airstrikes early Sunday morning on three key Iranian nuclear facilities under “Operation Midnight Hammer.”Iran retaliated by launching multiple missiles at US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar – the largest US military base in the region.