World Desk

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Iran have agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire, expected to take effect within hours.

His announcement on Monday followed an Iranian missile strike targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts American forces. In a social media post, Trump stated, "Assuming all goes as planned — and it will — I want to commend both Israel and Iran for their Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence in ending what should be called ‘THE 12 DAY WAR.’"

He added, “This is a war that could have lasted for years and devastated the entire Middle East. But it hasn’t — and it never will. God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”

However, neither Iran nor Israel has officially confirmed the ceasefire.

According to Trump, Iran would halt its attacks on Israel several hours before Israel is expected to end its military operations.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi pointed out that more than an hour after Trump’s declaration, there was still no formal confirmation. “Just minutes ago, explosions were heard due to air defense systems being activated here in the capital,” he reported, suggesting ongoing Israeli airstrikes that could trigger further Iranian retaliation.

Middle East analyst Omar Rahman told Al Jazeera that key details were missing from Trump’s message, including whether any negotiations would follow the ceasefire. He accused Trump of previously misleading statements supporting Israel and noted that the U.S. president had spoken about diplomacy just hours before Israel's initial attack on Iran.

Last week, Trump mentioned he would decide within two weeks whether to join the war, but ended up authorizing strikes on Iran just two days later.

Rahman also warned that if Israel carries out a major operation — including the potential assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — it could collapse the ceasefire entirely. “Would that end the war? Of course not,” he said.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive on Iran in the early hours of June 13, claiming it was a “preemptive” move to target Iran’s missile and nuclear programs. The unprovoked assault killed hundreds, including several high-ranking Iranian generals.

Iran condemned the attack as a violation of the UN Charter and responded with a barrage of missiles that caused extensive damage within Israel.

On Saturday, Trump authorized U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. In response, Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Trump brushed off the retaliation, calling it “weak” and indicating that the U.S. would not respond militarily.

Liqaa Maki of the Al Jazeera Media Institute suggested that the U.S. might refrain from counterattacks unless its forces suffer casualties. He emphasized that the U.S. should now convert its military success into a diplomatic agreement.

Maki also noted that despite setbacks, Iran still possesses enriched uranium and the technical expertise to rebuild its nuclear program. “In two to three years, Iran could resume its nuclear activities without inspections and possibly develop a bomb undetected,” he warned.

The extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains uncertain. While Iran maintains that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, Israel is widely believed to possess an undeclared nuclear arsenal.

Source: Al Jazeera 

About 250 Americans have been evacuated from Israel, official says

The U.S. has evacuated some 250 American citizens and their immediate family members from Israel by government, military and charter flights that began over the weekend, a State Department official says.

Since June 21, the official says the U.S. has organized seven flights, most of which have to gone to Athens, Greece, but also to Rome, Italy, and Larnaca, Cyprus.

Other Americans, including nonessential embassy staff and their families, have left via land to Jordan and Egypt, while others have departed Israel by ship. The official did not have statistics for those departures, which do not necessarily involve U.S. government assistance.

There are roughly 700,000 American citizens, most of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, believed to be in Israel.

Source :AP