Tension Between Israel And Iran Continues Amid U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire
In the morning of Tuesday, June 24, as President Donald Trump prepared to head to the Netherlands to attend the first day of the NATO summit, he took questions from the press regarding the status of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
“Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’d never seen before — the biggest load that we’ve seen,” Trump said before boarding Marine One around 7 a.m. on June 24. “I’m not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, ‘OK, now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have … So I’m not happy with them, I’m not happy with Iran either.”
Noting Iran fired a missile that didn’t hit anything in Israel, Trump then coarsely said:
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the **** they’re doing. Do you understand that?”
See the tense, and uncensored (viewer discretion advised), moment from Trump, here:
This ceasefire was negotiated on Monday, June 23, just 10 days after Israel’s surprise attack against the Islamic republic, which followed Iran’s own attacks against Israel in April and October of 2024.
While the specific terms of the ceasefire are not entirely known, particularly regarding Iran and its Axis of Resistance (which includes its funded partners, such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon), the ceasefire clock was to start at the beginning of June 24, allowing for a 24-hour ceasefire to lead to the end of what Trump has dubbed “the 12 Day War.”
Within the first 12 hours of the ceasefire, Trump took to Truth Social at 6:50 a.m., writing:
Around 7 a.m. on June 24, Trump took questions before boarding Marine One, but by 7:28 a.m., Trump posted on Truth Social:
As of 9:30 a.m. on June 24, the ceasefire remains, with Trump declaring, in all caps, “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”
He also said it is his hope that China will be able to continue purchasing oil from Iran, and the United States as well, adding, “It was my Great Honor to make this happen!”
Retaliation By Iran Against U.S. Preceded Ceasefire Agreement
On Monday, June 23, Iran fired ballistic missiles at military bases in Qatar and Iraq.
Video was posted online of the missiles exploding in the air as they were intercepted, reportedly, by the United States military’s Patriot system, which is a mobile surface-to-air missile system.
No U.S. military personnel injuries were sustained, according to President Donald Trump, who went on to announce later on June 23 that a ceasefire deal had been arranged between the warring nations of Israel and Iran.
See video of the missiles being intercepted by the U.S. Patriot system, here:
These attacks came days after the United States bombed three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran on Saturday, June 21, but Trump later revealed that Iran had given the United States notice of the incoming volley of ballistic missiles.
By the evening of June 23, Trump posted on Truth Social the terms for an upcoming ceasefire between Israel and Iran, with a 24-hour window of peace needed to see the war between the two nations ended.
Dubbing their conflict “The 12 Day War,” as it began on June 13 and would conclude, with the established timeline by June 25, Trump wrote, “This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!”
Of this pending accomplishment, he added, “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, 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.’”
See Trump’s full ceasefire message, here:
Related: U.S. Bombs 3 Iranian Nuclear Sites, Calls For Iran To End War With Israel
Iran’s Retaliation
Located just across the Persian Gulf from Iran, the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, was targeted by Iran.
This base was recently visited by Trump during his visit to the Middle East in May.
Iraq neighbors Iran, and has been targeted in the past by Iran, most notably in January 2020 when Iran carried out Operation Martyr Soleimani, responding to the United States killing Major General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike.
In response to the June 23 retaliation by Iran, Trump responded publicly to the attack, writing on Truth Social at 3:52 p.m. (EST):
Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was “set free,” because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction. I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done. Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their “system,” and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
In a separate post, he thanked Qatar’s government for their assistance in pursuit of peace in the region:
He then concluded his Truth Social posts on the matter, writing in all caps, “CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!”
Prior to these posts, Trump had written more harshly, as seen in a June 21 post on Truth Social:
Israel has conducted strikes on Iran following the June 23 attack.
By the end of the day, a ceasefire deal had been met by warring Israel and Iran, which began bombing one another after Israel’s June 13 surprise attack against the Islamic republic.
Iran had previously bombed Israel in April and October of 2024.
The June 23 ceasefire between Israel and Iran is a developing story.
Related: “Peace Through Strength” Touted By Trump As He Addresses U.S. Troops In Middle East
