Trump Declares Israel-Iran Ceasefire After Missile Strike on U.S. Base

Missiles, diplomacy, and doubt: Behind the 12-day showdown that nearly spiraled into a full-blown war

Ravi Juneja June 24, 2025Last Updated: June 24, 2025

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Reviewed & Published by HH News Desk

New York, June 24: It’s the kind of announcement that would’ve lit up headlines around the globe — if it hadn’t come from Donald Trump’s Truth Social feed. Just hours after Iran lobbed a salvo of ballistic missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the President posted that Iran and Israel had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” in what he’s now calling the “12-day war.” The claim landed with all the drama you’d expect, but also with a fair amount of confusion.

Because here’s the thing: no one else has confirmed it. Not Israel. Not Iran. And certainly not the U.S. Department of Defense. Yet.

A Ceasefire With No Confirmations

According to Trump, the deal kicks off with a phased wind-down — Iran stands down first, then Israel follows, with everything wrapped up 24 hours later. Midnight ET was the starting gun. It all sounds oddly orderly for two countries that were — until literally yesterday — trading airstrikes over nuclear sites, military bases, and even prison compounds.

But on the ground, the story’s messier. Israeli air raids reportedly continued overnight, hitting targets in Tehran, Urmia, and Rasht. One source pointed out that Evin Prison, infamous for housing political detainees, was among the symbolic strikes. If this is a ceasefire, it’s a noisy one.

Iran, meanwhile, has gone silent. No televised address from Khamenei, no triumphant IRGC briefings. Not even a leaked statement on Telegram. Just the eerie quiet of a regime that may be recalculating.

Trump, Always Center Stage

Let’s be honest — Trump knows a media moment when he sees one. And with an election cycle looming back home, a foreign policy “win” — especially one that involves calming the Middle East — plays well to his base. So when he told the world that Iran’s missile barrage was “very weak” and “carefully signaled,” it wasn’t just analysis. It was a pitch.

Iran did reportedly give advance warning, according to CBS News. That gave U.S. and Qatari air defense systems just enough time to intercept nearly all incoming missiles. There were no injuries. No fatalities. Not even serious damage, by the look of it. And that’s the part worth pausing on — Iran fired between six and fourteen ballistic missiles at the biggest U.S. air base in the region, and didn’t manage to kill a single American.

It feels… intentional. Like a signal, not a declaration.

Operation Midnight Hammer: High-Risk Calculus

This whole spiral began late last week with Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. campaign that targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. These aren’t surface-level bunkers. They’re some of the most fortified, deeply buried installations in the world. The Pentagon reportedly used 30,000-lb bunker busters and Tomahawks to crack them open.

Whether they succeeded is a different question. Nuclear experts are split. Some believe the strikes may have set Iran’s enrichment program back by months, possibly years. Others say it was mostly posturing — a visible show of force with limited technical payoff. Either way, it was enough to provoke a response.

That came on June 23, just before 8 p.m. local time, when Iran launched “Operation Glad Tidings of Victory.” A dozen or so missiles streaked across the Gulf. Most were knocked out of the sky. One got through. Miraculously, no one died.

Qatar Steps In — Again

What happened next seems to hinge on Qatar’s quiet diplomacy. The Gulf emirate — long seen as a neutral broker in this chaotic neighborhood — reportedly sent PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani straight to Tehran to calm things down. The talks were fast. Informal. But apparently effective.

Qatar’s role here can’t be overstated. It houses CENTCOM’s forward command at Al Udeid, but also maintains a functional working relationship with Iran. When this war started brewing, Doha was already poised to mediate. And now, it may have helped stop things from spilling over into a full-blown regional conflict.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Gulf isn’t thrilled. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE all condemned Iran’s attack — even if it was calibrated — as a dangerous overstep. These countries aren’t exactly itching for war, but they’re not comfortable with ballistic missiles raining down on one of their neighbors either.

Markets Exhale, But Nerves Remain

Interestingly, global markets reacted with an almost audible sigh of relief. Oil prices, which had jumped sharply after the U.S. airstrikes, flattened out on Monday. Traders seem to believe that if Iran wanted war, it would’ve tried harder. That said, nobody’s betting the house on this ceasefire holding.

Israel’s continued strikes are the big red flag. If they’re still hitting Tehran’s symbolic and military centers, it raises real doubts about whether Netanyahu’s government ever agreed to any truce in the first place — or whether it’s just letting Trump say what he wants while pursuing its own strategic goals.

What’s Really Going On?

If you’re reading this and scratching your head — wondering if this is a ceasefire, a PR stunt, or just the eye of the storm — you’re not alone. The messaging is chaotic. The facts on the ground are mixed. And the world is trying to figure out whether the danger has passed, or just paused.

Trump clearly wants this to be over. So does Qatar. Iran might too, depending on what was actually hit at Natanz. But Israel isn’t acting like it’s done, and until they stop the air raids, this isn’t peace. It’s just a breather.

Twelve days, three nations, and one airbase later, we’re right back in the ambiguity that defines so much of modern conflict: nobody wins, nobody surrenders, and everyone spins.

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Author Profile

Ravi Juneja

Journalist at Hindustan Herald | ravi.j@hindustanherald.com | Web

Ravi Juneja is a student journalist currently pursuing his degree from Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication. With a passion for factual reporting and public interest stories, he covers a wide spectrum of news at Hindustan Herald, including politics, health, technology, entertainment, and global affairs. Ravi is committed to delivering balanced, research-backed journalism with a strong sense of responsibility and independence.