How Trump brokered Israel-Iran ceasefire
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran after a series of high-level talks on Monday, a senior White House official said. The talks included direct communication between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while his senior aides communicated with Iranian officials. The agreement came after Iran launched missiles at a US airbase in Qatar in response to American bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.
Agreement terms
Iran signaled it would not pursue further strikes
According to the senior White House official, Israel agreed to the ceasefire as long as Iran doesn't launch any new attacks. The official said Iran signaled it would not pursue further strikes. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff were key players in managing communication with Tehran.
Diplomatic efforts
Ceasefire announcement
The official said Trump called for talks shortly after the US strikes on Iran. "He directed his team on Saturday night: 'Let's get on the phone..with the Iranians,'" the official said. "'Get me Bibi. We're going to make peace,'" the official said, quoting Trump. Before the ceasefire announcement, Trump had declared a "complete and total" ceasefire. The truce would be a phased 24-hour process, with Iran unilaterally stopping all operations at 9:30am and Israel following suit 12 hours later.
Domestic impact
If ceasefire holds, it could quell domestic criticism
If the ceasefire holds, it could quell domestic criticism and allow Trump to project himself as a dealmaker and peacemaker. However, that remains to be seen as Iran launched several volleys of missiles at Israel shortly after Trump's ceasefire announcement, killing three people in the southern city of Beersheba. The Israeli military and medics say Iran fired six volleys of missiles at the country.
Failed talks
US-Iran negotiations before conflict escalated
The US had already held five rounds of negotiations with Iran before the conflict escalated, but these talks fell through over Tehran's insistence on uranium enrichment. Trump's decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites marked a departure from his long-standing pledge to avoid foreign wars. This move also raised concerns among his conservative "Make America Great Again" base, which favors non-interventionism.
Conflict
Timeline of Israel-Iran conflict
Late Saturday, Trump announced that US forces targeted Iran's main nuclear sites—Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. He said the US carried out a "successful" bombing attack on the sites, and they have been "obliterated." The conflict between Iran and Israel started on June 13 when the Israeli military launched a surprise attack that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites. Israeli strikes on Iran have since killed at least 865 people.