US President Donald Trump announced Monday that Iran and Israel had agreed to a staggered ceasefire that would bring about an “official end” to their conflict, as strikes continued to hammer Tehran overnight.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
There was however no immediate confirmation from either of the Middle Eastern adversaries, whose unprecedented exchange of attacks has seen hundreds killed in Iran and two dozen in Israel.
Trump said the ceasefire would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations. Israel would follow suit 12 hours later, the president said.
“Upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world,” he said, adding that both sides had agreed to remain “peaceful and respectful” during each phase of the process.
Explosions nonetheless continued to rock Tehran overnight, with explosions in the north and center of the Iranian capital described by AFP journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.
Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting into a wider conflagration.বিস্তারিত