President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran has momentarily paused a 12-day conflict that saw direct strikes on each other’s territories and U.S. bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump, touting the deal as a landmark foreign policy achievement, claims the ceasefire is now in effect, with Iran initiating the halt to hostilities, followed by Israel 12 hours later. After 24 hours, Trump declared, the war would be officially over—a process he described as a testament to the “stamina, courage, and intelligence” of both nations.

However, the ceasefire’s stability remains highly uncertain. There was no immediate confirmation from Israel regarding the deal, and missile attacks continued in the hours surrounding Trump’s announcement.

The Israeli military reported six waves of missile fire from Iran, resulting in four deaths in Beersheba, even as Trump urged both sides not to violate the agreement. While an Iranian official signalled Tehran’s willingness to accept a ceasefire if Israel ceased its attacks, Iran’s foreign minister insisted there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its operations.

Crucially, the specific terms of the ceasefire remain undisclosed. Neither Trump’s statements nor official communications from Israel or Iran have clarified what each side has agreed to, raising doubts about the durability of the truce.

Questions persist about whether the U.S. and Iran will resume nuclear negotiations and, importantly, the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which many experts believe may have survived the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes. U.S. intelligence continues to assess that Iran is not actively building a nuclear weapon, a position at odds with Israeli claims that prompted the escalation.

Analysts caution that while Israel may have achieved some of its military objectives and Iran may have sought an “off-ramp,” the absence of a clear post-ceasefire strategy poses risks for renewed conflict. The lack of transparency on the agreement’s terms, coupled with ongoing hostilities and deep mutual distrust, underscores the fragility of the current pause and the potential for a broader regional war if unresolved issues are not addressed.

While Trump and his supporters hail the ceasefire as a diplomatic breakthrough, the deal is shadowed by unanswered questions about its enforcement, the future of Iran’s nuclear program, and the willingness of both sides to adhere to a peace that remains, for now, only partially confirmed and highly precarious.

Based On A Reuters Report