In the last 24 hours, the Israel-Iran war took several dramatic turns, with US President Donald Trump making fast diplomatic moves to present himself as a peacekeeper in the conflict.The world watched closely as tensions rose, first with Iran striking back at the US, and then with Trump suddenly announcing a ceasefire. But soon after, he expressed anger over both hostile countries – Israel and Iran not fully following the peace deal.
Monday afternoon: Iran strikes US military base in Qatar
Tensions spiked Monday afternoon when Iran retaliated for earlier US strikes by firing missiles at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military base in the region. The missiles were intercepted with help from Qatar, and no injuries or major damage were reported. Despite earlier warnings of a strong response, President Donald Trump downplayed the attack in a social media post around 4pm ET, calling it “very weak” and “very effectively countered”, as reported by ABC. He added, “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.” Trump also thanked Iran for giving advance warning and expressed hope that both Iran and Israel would now move towards peace.
Monday evening: Trump announces ceasefire
Just after 6pm ET, Trump stunned observers by announcing a ceasefire agreement that he claimed would end the 12-day war. According to him, the deal involved two 12-hour ceasefire phases, first led by Iran and then by Israel, after which a full stop to the war would be declared.Speaking to NBC News, Trump said, “It’s a great day for America. It’s a great day for the Middle East. I’m very happy to have been able to get the job done.” He added that the ceasefire would last “forever.”At 1:08am ET, he declared on Truth Social, “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” However, neither Iran nor Israel issued immediate public confirmation of the agreement.
Overnight: Israel and Iran continue fire exchange
Despite the ceasefire declaration, fresh fighting broke out overnight. Iran fired missiles into Israel, reportedly killing four people and injuring 20 in Beersheba. Iran claimed 15 deaths in Israeli strikes around its territory. Israel accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by launching missiles between midnight and 3:30am ET, which were either intercepted or landed in open areas. Iran denied the charge, but Israel admitted to launching a retaliatory strike on a radar site near Tehran.
Tuesday morning: Trump lashes out at Israel and Iran
By Tuesday morning, Trump was visibly frustrated. Before heading to a Nato summit in the Netherlands, he made pointed remarks about both countries.“Israel as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a boatload of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” he told reporters. “I’m not happy with Israel. Ok, when I say now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So, I’m not happy with him. I’m not happy with Iran either.”His most candid comment came when he said, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard, that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.”
Trump warns Israel on social media
Soon after, Trump posted a stern message on social media warning Israel not to continue strikes on Iran: “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Later, he had a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to White House sources, Trump was direct in urging Israel to avoid further action. Israel’s government said it held back from more attacks following that call. Iran, meanwhile, stated that it would continue respecting the ceasefire as long as Israel did too.
As of Tuesday afternoon
By Tuesday afternoon, the situation appeared calmer. There were no new reports of missile exchanges, and both sides seemed to be observing the ceasefire. It was a fragile calm, but one that gave Trump a moment to claim that his diplomatic gamble had paid off—at least for now.
