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On Monday, US President Donald Trump declared a total ceasefire between Israel and Iran, a development that could bring an end to a 12-day conflict that caused mass evacuations from Tehran and raised concerns of further violence in the already unstable region.
However, the Israeli military reported that two waves of missiles were fired from Iran toward Israel in the early hours of Tuesday, indicating ongoing tensions and lack of confirmed agreement from Israel.
UAE facilitates evacuation of its citizens from Iran amid escalating tensions
Reports of explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in central Israel surfaced, with local media indicating that a building had been hit.
Over the weekend, Israel, supported by the United States, targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, citing concerns that Tehran was nearing the ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
“Assuming everything goes as planned, which it will, I want to congratulate both nations, Israel and Iran, for their stamina, courage, and intelligence in ending what we might call ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump stated on his platform, Truth Social.
Terms: Cessation of hostilities contingent
While a representative from Iran confirmed the acceptance of a ceasefire, the foreign minister emphasized that hostilities would only cease if Israel halted its attacks. Abbas Araqchi noted early Tuesday that Iran would refrain from retaliation if Israel ceased its “illegal aggression” against the Iranian populace by 4:00 AM Tehran time (0030 GMT) that day.
Since that deadline, there have been no Israeli strikes reported against Iran.
“The final decision regarding the suspension of our military actions will be taken later,” Araqchi wrote in a post on X.
A senior official from the White House indicated that Trump played a central role in facilitating this agreement through conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who consented to the ceasefire pending no further attacks from Iran.
Trump indicated that both Israel and Iran might be allowed a brief window to complete existing operations before the ceasefire mechanism would be enacted incrementally.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was pivotal in obtaining Tehran’s consent during discussions with Iranian officials, as per an informant involved in the negotiations.
In addition, US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff maintained both direct and indirect communication with Iranian representatives, according to a White House official.
Neither the Iranian delegation at the UN nor the Israeli embassy in Washington provided comments when contacted for clarification.
Earlier, three Israeli officials indicated that the nation was seeking to conclude its military operations in Iran soon, relaying this message to the United States.
Netanyahu urged government ministers involved in talks that wrapped up early Tuesday not to disclose details publicly, as reported by Israel’s Channel 12 news.
The stock markets responded positively to the announcement, with S&P 500 futures increasing by 0.4 percent late Monday, suggesting that traders expect a favorable opening for the US stock market on Tuesday.
In early Asian trading hours on Tuesday, US crude futures dipped to their lowest level in over a week after Trump declared a ceasefire, alleviating concerns regarding supply disruptions in the region.
Is the fighting truly over?
Despite the announcement, there was still a lack of calm observed in the region.
Israeli military issued two evacuation alerts within a span of less than two hours for residents in areas surrounding the Iranian capital, with one alert coming late Monday and another early Tuesday.
Reports from Israeli Army radio indicated that alarms were triggered in the southern Golan Heights area due to potential aircraft threats.
Previously on Monday, Trump expressed that he would advocate for Israel to pursue peace and downplayed the impact of Iran’s attack on a US airbase, which resulted in no casualties, while appreciating Tehran’s advance warning of the strikes.
He noted that 14 missiles were launched at the US air base, labeling it as “a very weak response” that was anticipated and effectively countered.
Iran’s approach towards the attack appeared reminiscent of prior confrontations with both the US and Israel, navigating a path that allowed it to respond militarily without inciting an uncontrollable cycle of escalation.
Tehran seems to have successfully balanced this response.
The Iranian retaliatory action followed the US deploying 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs targeting Iranian underground nuclear facilities over the weekend, intensifying the air warfare alongside Israel.
The extensive bombing led to mass evacuations as the population of Tehran, which numbers around 10 million, has significantly diminished amidst the conflict.