‘12 Day War’ Ends in Ceasefire, Trump Claims Victory Ahead of NATO Summit
The ceasefire announcement came just one day before Trump’s scheduled departure for the NATO summit in the Netherlands. There, he is expected to champion his administration’s mix of military assertiveness and backchannel diplomacy as a model for resolving global conflicts.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — President Donald Trump on Monday announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire,” a dramatic turn in the 12-day conflict that followed by U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities — a decision the president is now casting as the catalyst for peace, according to the Associated Press.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump posted on social media, touting the end of what he dubbed the “12 Day War,” a title reminiscent of Israel’s 1967 Six-Day War. He added that both nations had come to him “almost simultaneously” asking for peace.
The U.S. airstrikes — which targeted Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — were meant to cripple Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, Trump and his administration insist the operation was a strategic success that forced Iran to the negotiating table.
The ceasefire announcement came just one day before Trump’s scheduled departure for the NATO summit in the Netherlands. There, he is expected to champion his administration’s mix of military assertiveness and backchannel diplomacy as a model for resolving global conflicts.
A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Trump had personally spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the same time, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff were also involved in talks with the Iranians to secure the tentative ceasefire, with key diplomatic help from Qatar. Trump later thanked Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for playing a critical mediation role — a continuation of Doha’s engagement in regional ceasefire negotiations, particularly in the Israel-Hamas war.
In his social media posts, Trump laid out a phased ceasefire: Iran would halt hostilities first, followed by Israel 12 hours later. He proclaimed a future of “UNLIMITED PROMISE” for both nations, calling on them to follow the “road of RIGHTEOUSNESS & TRUTH.”
While details of the agreement remain vague, the White House framed the moment as a major foreign policy victory. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared an AP headline and claimed Trump had “obliterated the Iranian Regime’s nuclear program” and achieved a peace no other president could.
Vice President Vance described the strikes and ensuing ceasefire as “an important reset moment for the entire region” in an interview with Fox News. He warned Iran that any future nuclear ambitions would once again provoke overwhelming U.S. military force.
Yet, tensions remain high. On Monday, Iran launched 14 missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the first direct Iranian retaliation against the U.S. since the strikes. Trump said 13 missiles were intercepted, and one was allowed to proceed as it posed no threat. Remarkably, he thanked Iran for giving advance notice of the attack, suggesting it was more symbolic than strategic.
“This is a war that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t — and never will,” Trump declared, reaffirming his belief that bold American intervention averted a wider catastrophe.
As Trump prepares to take the NATO stage, the ceasefire — and whether it holds — will be closely watched by allies and adversaries alike. For now, the world holds its breath, waiting to see if the “12 Day War” truly ends in peace.
