On June 23, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire,” which was to be phased in over a 24-hour period. According to Trump’s statement, the ceasefire would begin at midnight Eastern Time, with Iran initiating a 12-hour cessation of hostilities, followed by Israel for the next 12 hours, culminating in an official end to the conflict after 24 hours.

Trump emphasised that this arrangement would allow both sides to finish any ongoing military operations before the ceasefire took full effect.

However, this announcement was met with immediate scepticism and outright rejection from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) at 4:16 a.m. Tehran time, explicitly denied that any formal ceasefire agreement had been reached. Araghchi stated, “As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.

However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards. The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later”. This was the first official response from Iran to Trump’s ceasefire announcement.

The Israeli side also refrained from confirming any ceasefire agreement. The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not release any statement on the matter.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations similarly remained silent. Meanwhile, Iranian state television referred to the ceasefire as a “Trump-claimed” agreement and reported that Israeli attacks continued in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Urmia, and Rasht, even as Trump’s announcement was being discussed.

The backdrop to these developments was a dramatic escalation in hostilities. Iran had launched a limited missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar in retaliation for American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Israel, for its part, intensified its air campaign against Iranian targets, including missile systems and key regime facilities.

Despite these hostilities, Trump’s ceasefire announcement appeared to be an attempt to halt further escalation and provide a diplomatic off-ramp for both sides.

As of the morning of June 24, 2025, there is no confirmed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran. While President Trump has claimed that a phased ceasefire is in effect, both Iranian and Israeli officials have either denied or declined to confirm any such arrangement. Iran’s position remains that it will only halt its military response if Israel ceases its attacks, with any final decision on cessation of operations to be made at a later time.

The situation remains fluid, with ongoing hostilities reported even after Trump’s declaration.

Agencies