US President hailed the Iran-Israel ceasefire as a sign of restored American strength and deterrence.
Washington: As an anxious world waited with bated breath while Iran and Israel traded missiles after missiles, US President Donald Trump announced “a complete and total ceasefire” between the two warring West Asian nations. This came hours after Tehran launched a missile attack at the American air base in Qatar in retaliation for the strikes by the US at three Iranian nuclear facilities.
He took to Truth Social to announce a breakthrough in the Middle East crisis, claiming that a "Complete and Total CEASEFIRE" had been agreed upon between Israel and Iran. Trump also lauded the leaders of both countries for their decision to end hostilities: “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'.”
The news brought cheers to the world, as global stock markets surged and geopolitical uncertainties eased. According to Trump, the ceasefire between Iran and Israel is going "very good," following days of intense military escalation between the two foes.
"I think it's (going) very good. Israel came back yesterday," Trump told reporters at the NATO Summit in The Hague. Speaking about Iran's uranium enrichment efforts, Trump said he would not tolerate uranium enrichment, and if that happens, he would primarily solve it through military means.
On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel, inflicting casualties and heavy damage.
The US Air Force then bombed three Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran attacked the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with missiles. Trump said that if Iran rebuilds nuclear facilities, the United States will carry out another strike on it. Asked if the United States would strike again if Iran rebuilt its nuclear enrichment programme, Trump said: "Sure."
He also said Washington will not allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium. "We will not let that happen. Number one, militarily. I think we will end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran," he said.
The president also strongly rejected a recent intelligence report that challenged the administration’s claim that US strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. He slammed several media outlets for "fake news". During an interview with Fox News, Steve Witkoff, the US President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, called the leaking of the report “treasonous,” stating that it needs to be investigated.
UN chief welcomes ceasefire
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said a UN spokesman. Guterres urges Israel and Iran to fully respect the ceasefire and to stop fighting, noting that the people of the two countries have already suffered too much, said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman.
The secretary-general hopes that this ceasefire can be replicated in the other conflicts in the region," the spokesman said this week.
