Trump announces cease-fire agreement between Israel and Iran: What we know

"CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL! It has been fully agreed between Israel and Iran that there will be a complete and total ceasefire." This was how U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the two enemy states, at war since June 13, had agreed to a total cease-fire, set to begin on Tuesday and lead to "the official end" of the conflict.

Here's what we know at this point:

What Donald Trump says

• At around 1 a.m. Beirut time, Trump announced that a "complete and total" cease-fire would take effect "in about six hours, once Israel and Iran have completed their last ongoing missions," i.e., Tuesday at 7 a.m
• Trump specified that the truce would last 24 hours, following a two-step mechanism: Iran would cease hostilities first, followed by Israel twelve hours later.
• "At the 24th hour, the official end of the twelve-day war will be hailed by the world," he insisted, adding that both parties had committed to being "peaceful and respectful."

Before the cease-fire

Unprecedented Iranian strikes on U.S. base at al-Udeid in Qatar: A measured response

Reactions from Iran and Israel

• Shortly after 4 a.m. Tehran time, (3:30 a.m. Beirut time), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X saying that as of that moment there was "no 'agreement'" on a cease-fire or the cessation of military operations between Iran and Israel, adding, however that if Israel ceased its "illegal aggressions against the Iranian people" by 4 a.m. Tehran time, Iran has no intention of pursuing retaliatory actions. The final decision on fully ceasing military operations would be made later, he wrote.
• Shortly after 9 a.m. Tel Aviv time, Netanyahu's office released a statement confirming Israel's agreement to a cease-fire, claiming that Netanyahu met with several senior political and army leaders, “to report that Israel had achieved all of the objectives of Operation Rising Lion, and much more.”
• Ahead of the cease-fire Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel, hitting Tel Aviv and Beersheba, killing four people, while Israel launched a series of heavy bombings on Iran, with an Iranian news agency reporting the killing of a nuclear scientist.

Qatari mediation

• According to a senior White House official, Trump negotiated the agreement during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were in contact with Iranian officials.
• Another informed official told Reuters that Trump and Vance had discussed the cease-fire proposal with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, following Iranian attacks on the American base there.
• Trump then informed the emir that Israel had accepted the truce, seeking Doha's support to persuade Iran to adhere to it. It was Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani who reportedly secured Tehran's agreement, according to the same source.

The context

• Claiming, despite U.S. intelligence to the contrary, that Iran was close to acquiring the atomic bomb, Israel launched a massive offensive on June 13, bombing hundreds of military and nuclear sites, killing top-ranking officials, several nuclear scientists, and dozens of civilians.
• Iran, which responded with missile and drone strikes on Israel, denies seeking to develop an atomic bomb but asserts its right to a civilian nuclear program. Iran is party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel, the only country in the region with nuclear weapons (albeit undeclared), is not.
• The United States provided military support to Israel on Saturday by hitting three Iranian nuclear facilities with ground-penetrating bombs.
• On Monday night, just hours before the cease-fire was announced, Iran said it had launched missiles at the American al-Udeid base in Qatar, a strike it had warned Washington about, according to Trump.
• Trump called this response "very weak" and urged Iran and Israel to "move towards peace," adding, "I want to thank Iran for warning us in time, which prevented any loss of life and injury," in a message on his Truth Social platform.
• In Iran, the war has resulted in more than 400 deaths and 3,056 injuries, mostly civilians, according to an official toll, although human rights organizations put the toll much higher. Iranian strikes on Israel have killed 28 people, according to authorities.