Trump Secures Ceasefire in Israel-Iran Conflict

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: AFP

In just two days, former U.S. President Donald Trump went through many emotions — from happy to angry to proud — as he worked on a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The deal almost fell apart but eventually came together with the help of Trump’s team and support from Qatar.

Trump pushed both Israel and Iran to stop fighting. He was loud and clear in public, showing his anger toward both sides. Still, behind the scenes, his aides and Qatar’s leaders saw a chance to bring peace after Iran responded mildly to recent U.S. airstrikes.

The U.S. had just bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites, and Israel had been bombing Iran for 12 straight days. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli people that their strikes had damaged Iran’s nuclear program. This helped him agree to step back from the war.

On his social media page, Trump wrote, “This war could have lasted for years and destroyed the entire Middle East. But it didn’t — and never will!”

Talks Begin After U.S. Airstrikes

The plan for peace started early Sunday, right after U.S. airstrikes hit Iranian nuclear sites. Trump ordered his team to call Netanyahu and told him not to expect more U.S. attacks. Trump explained that the danger from Iran had been removed and it was time to return to peace talks.

Netanyahu didn’t fully agree but listened and understood Trump’s position. Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, spoke with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. He told Iran it had seen what the U.S. military could do and that peace was the best option.

Witkoff later said on Fox News that Trump hoped for a full peace agreement, not just a pause in fighting. He said talks were already happening through different channels.

Ceasefire Announced, But Responses Were Mixed

Trump soon posted on his social media that a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” had been reached. However, the agreement was only about ending the fighting. There were no added deals about Iran’s nuclear plans or money issues.

As Trump celebrated, both Israel and Iran stayed quiet. Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi eventually responded, saying Iran would only stop its attacks if Israel stopped first. He posted online that there was no official agreement yet.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei posted that Iran would not surrender. It wasn’t clear how involved he was in the talks.

Netanyahu stayed silent for eight hours. Later, his office confirmed Israel had agreed to the ceasefire, claiming they had met their military goals.

Qatar Helps Seal the Deal

Qatar played a major role. After Iran fired 14 missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday, the U.S. and Qatar’s defense systems shot down 13 of them. The last missile went in a harmless direction. Trump said Iran even gave the U.S. and Qatar advance notice, helping people find safety.

Soon after, Qatar’s Emir had a long phone call with Trump. They agreed to try for a full ceasefire. Trump asked Qatar to check how ready Iran was to stop fighting. Iran’s weak response to the bombings made U.S. officials think they weren’t ready for a bigger war.

Trump quickly called Netanyahu again and got his promise to end the attacks, as long as Iran didn’t launch more strikes.

Last-Minute Attacks Almost Break the Deal

Vice President JD Vance was on Fox News when Trump posted the ceasefire had been reached. Vance was surprised by the news, saying he had just left the White House where they were still working on it.

However, right after Trump’s announcement, Iran attacked Israel again — after the time Iran had warned it would stop if Israel stopped too. Israel had also attacked Tehran hours before the ceasefire began.

Israel’s government confirmed they hit the center of Tehran, killing many Iranian security forces. Iranian news reported that four buildings were destroyed and several homes were damaged, with nine people killed in one province.

Trump Gets Angry and Acts Fast

Trump was set to leave for a NATO summit in the Netherlands on Tuesday when the new attacks happened. He told reporters he was very upset with both Israel and Iran.

“I’m not happy with them,” Trump said. “They’ve been fighting for so long, they don’t even know what they’re doing anymore.”

He then posted online a strong warning to Israel:
“ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”

On his flight, Trump called Netanyahu directly and was very firm. One White House official said Trump didn’t hold back. Netanyahu got the message and stopped further attacks. His office later confirmed that no more strikes would happen after Trump’s call.

Trump Declares Victory

After the phone call, Trump posted again that the ceasefire was now active. He wrote that Israeli planes were turning around and even making a friendly wave to Iran.

He ended by celebrating what he called a huge achievement:
“It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!”