L-R: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei
By Aaron Ruby
Iran and Israel have officially announced a ceasefire agreement in the war between the two countries which began 12 days ago.
This follows a request from U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the peace deal after the intense days of war.
“It’s hard to accept peace after what happened this morning, but we must not forget what we achieved and the role Trump played in standing with us.
“He asked us to honour the ceasefire, and he earned that respect,” said a top Israeli official.
Both sides inflicted casualties on each other with Israel having the upper hand.
Israel’s Operation Rising Lion — the codename for its military campaign — has reportedly achieved all its objectives.
These objectives include achieving air superiority over Tehran, the elimination of senior Iranian military leaders, and crippling of its nuclear and missile capabilities.
Israel is now firmly recognized as the dominant military power in the region, walking out of the war stronger, united, and undefeated.
Israel also lost no soldiers, and no military equipment destroyed, losing only Iranian “soft targets” which were hit when Iran targeted Israeli civilians.
Whereas Israel lost more than 20 of its civilian population, Iran lost more than 400 lives.
Iran’s heavy losses, include countless soldiers, military equipment, fighter jets, top generals, and even government officials.
Israel wiped out Iran’s military leadership and top nuclear scientists; destroyed Iran’s air defense systems; crippled Iran’s ballistic missile program; and heavily damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Israel also tactically succeeded in shifting international attention away from Gaza and revived the Saudi-Israel Abraham Accords, as well as reinforced the strength of the U.S-Israel alliance.
Iran, however bombed a cancer research center, a refinery and the largest hospital in Beersheba, Southern Israel.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” which he stated would bring an end to what he termed the “12-day war” between the two nations.
Trump made these announcements via social media, indicating that the ceasefire would be phased, with Iran initiating the halt in operations and Israel following suit 12 hours later.
He expressed that the future for both Israel and Iran was “UNLIMITED, and filled with great PROMISE” and that the world and the Middle East were the “real WINNERS.”
The President also stated that “Israel and Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, ‘PEACE!'”
While Trump declared the ceasefire to be in effect as of Tuesday morning, and urged both sides not to violate it, initial reports indicated some confusion and continued actions.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran would stop its attacks if Israel would, but Iran reportedly launched another attack on Israel after the initially stated ceasefire time.
Israel, for its part, also confirmed its agreement to the ceasefire in coordination with Trump, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating Israel would respond forcefully to any violation.
Trump’s announcement followed a period of escalating tensions and back-and-forth strikes, including Iranian missile attacks on a U.S. military base in Qatar (which Trump dismissed as “very weak”.
Trump had thanked Iran for early notice, preventing casualties) and U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Reports suggest that Qatar played a role in brokering the agreement, with Trump coordinating with Qatari leadership.
