After nearly two weeks of escalating violence that shook the Middle East, Israel and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, bringing an end to the deadly 12-day conflict dubbed the “12 Day War.”
The agreement was reached just hours after a final wave of deadly hostilities between the two nations. Tehran launched a barrage of missiles at southern Israel, killing at least four people and wounding eight others in Beersheba, while Israeli airstrikes pounded Iranian military and government targets across multiple cities.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s acceptance of the ceasefire, coordinated directly with President Trump.
“Israel has achieved all its war objectives,” Netanyahu told reporters after briefing his security cabinet. “We dismantled Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure, weakened their military command, and demonstrated aerial dominance over Tehran.”
He added that Israel would “respond forcefully” to any violation of the ceasefire.
The final exchange of hostilities began before dawn Tuesday. Israeli fighter jets conducted intensive bombing runs on Iranian positions, which were followed by retaliatory missile attacks on Israeli cities, including Beersheba.
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Emergency responders reported four fatalities and extensive damage, including three destroyed residential buildings.
Some victims died while sheltering in reinforced “safe rooms,” which failed to withstand the direct impact of ballistic missiles—a chilling reminder of the conflict’s intensity.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had signaled hours earlier that Iran was prepared to halt its military response, provided that Israel ceased its “illegal aggression” by 4 a.m. Tehran time. However, he emphasized that there was no formal agreement in place at the time.
Despite that uncertainty, President Trump declared the ceasefire officially in effect shortly after the deadline passed, writing on Truth Social:
“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! — DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”
Iranian state television later confirmed that the ceasefire took effect at 7:30 a.m. local time, though top Iranian officials have remained largely silent since the announcement.
According to a senior White House official, President Trump communicated directly with Prime Minister Netanyahu to push for the ceasefire. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff also engaged in backchannel diplomacy with Iranian counterparts, reportedly through intermediaries including Qatari officials.
The ceasefire came a day after Iran fired limited missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—retaliation for a U.S. airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities. The U.S. had been warned in advance, and no casualties were reported.
White House officials credit both the bombing campaign and Qatari mediation for helping to secure the ceasefire. Trump’s Truth Social post proclaimed a “complete and total ceasefire” beginning just after midnight in Washington, declaring it an “Official END” to the war.
Trump has since labeled the conflict the “12 Day War,” a deliberate nod to the historical “Six-Day War” of 1967, a deeply significant event in Middle Eastern history.
The short but devastating war has left deep scars on both nations. Israeli authorities report at least 24 deaths and over 1,000 injuries.
Iran has suffered a far heavier toll, with 974 people killed and 3,458 wounded, according to Human Rights Activists, a U.S.-based organization known for tracking Iranian casualties in previous civil unrest.
Among the Iranian dead are at least 387 civilians and 268 members of the country’s security forces, the group said.
In a further sign of the war’s regional impact, Israel’s airspace was temporarily shut down Tuesday due to Iranian missile fire. Flights were diverted or grounded, and even Qatar Airways suspended services during the peak of hostilities, only resuming operations after officials deemed the threat had passed.