In today’s newsletter: The US president responds to Iran’s limited retaliation by celebrating the end of the war, with Israel confirming agreement to proposa
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Good morning.
After the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday, the world waited to see how Tehran would respond. Last night, we got a glimpse of that response — and, if you believe Donald Trump, perhaps also its conclusion.
Iran retaliated with ballistic missile attacks targeting a US base in Qatar. Although Iranian officials hailed the strikes as a “mighty and successful response,” no American personnel were injured — seemingly by intention. Trump dismissed the retaliation as a “very weak response,” suggesting that Iran had “gotten it all out of their ‘system,’” and declared: “CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!”
Just two hours later, Trump followed up with another post, claiming that Israel and Iran had reached a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” that would lead to permanent peace. His announcement reportedly caught some US officials by surprise and caused widespread confusion. While Iran confirmed its agreement to the ceasefire, Israel initially did not, and Iranian missiles hit southern Israel right around the time the truce was supposed to begin.
Was this the final act or a prelude to more trouble? A short while ago, the Israeli government announced its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal. You can follow the live blog for continuous updates. Today’s newsletter breaks down a turbulent night that may signal the end of the conflict — and considers the potential long-term impact of US strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
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Protest | UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has pledged to ban Palestine Action under anti-terror laws after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted two military planes. PA’s legal team called the move an attack on freedom of speech and assembly.
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Politics | Labour MPs are mounting a significant rebellion against government benefit cuts, proposing an amendment that could block the welfare bill. Senior committee chairs are leading the charge, with up to 100 MPs reportedly backing the measure.
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NHS | UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has ordered a national inquiry into widespread failures in NHS maternity care, criticizing hospitals, trusts, and regulators for repeatedly “passing the buck” on responsibility.
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Ukraine | During a visit to London, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy branded Russia, Iran, and North Korea as a “coalition of murderers.” He met with Keir Starmer to discuss increasing pressure on Moscow to end its war against Ukraine, accusing Tehran of aiding Russia’s aggression.
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Music | U2 guitarist The Edge has officially become an Irish citizen, 62 years after moving from Britain to Ireland — a step he called “long overdue.”
Less than an hour ago, Donald Trump posted a new message on Truth Social:
“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!”If Trump has now retired for the night, it marks the end of a chaotic series of social media posts from the US president, as Iran and Israel offered mixed reactions. Although Trump’s habit of making unilateral announcements on social media often creates confusion, his declaration seems to have held — with neither side resuming attacks so far.
Here’s a look at how the night unfolded, and how we got here.
What did Trump announce – and why?
Trump’s posts on Truth Social reflected his personal ambitions — notably, his long-standing desire to win a Nobel Peace Prize. In his initial post, he boasted:
“This is a war that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!”
In another post, he shared a meme of himself kissing the American flag, captioned: “Trump was right about everything.”According to Trump, both Israel and Iran independently approached him seeking a peace deal. Reuters reported that Trump personally spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while US Senator JD Vance engaged with Tehran. Qatar reportedly played a key role in mediating Iran’s agreement.
Trump outlined a phased plan:
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Iran would halt hostilities six hours later, once both sides had completed any ongoing “final missions.”
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Israel would then follow, stopping its operations 12 hours later.
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Finally, after 24 hours, the “12-Day War” would officially end.
While Trump’s announcement surprised many — even senior officials inside the White House, according to The New York Times — there had been signs that both sides were ready for de-escalation. Iran’s response had been carefully measured, seemingly designed to avoid provoking a larger US attack. Meanwhile, Netanyahu hinted that Israel’s objectives had largely been achieved.
What happened next?
As often happens before ceasefires, Israeli strikes reportedly intensified in the final hours to maximize military advantage. At 4:16am Tehran time, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was no formal agreement yet but indicated Iran would stop its response if Israel ceased attacks by 4am.
At 4am, Iran concluded its military actions. Yet shortly after Trump’s ceasefire deadline, Iranian missiles struck Israel — muddying the timeline. Still, Iranian state television soon declared that a ceasefire had officially begun.
Israel made no public response to Trump’s announcement until after 9am local time, when its government confirmed it had agreed to the deal but warned it would respond strongly to any ceasefire violations. After 4am, no new Israeli attacks on Iran were reported, though Israel said it had destroyed missile launchers in western Iran during the previous hours.
How did Iran’s attack on the US influence the situation?
As Iranian expert Mohammad Ali Shabani predicted in yesterday’s briefing, Tehran likely felt compelled to deliver some form of military response to save face domestically, but sought to avoid heavy casualties and a larger US reaction.
That is precisely what unfolded. Iran’s attack appeared symbolically calculated: the Supreme National Security Council noted that the number of missiles fired matched the number of US bombs dropped on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In practical terms, the attack was limited. The target was Al Udeid airbase — the forward headquarters for US Central Command in Qatar — located roughly 30km southwest of Doha. Around 10,000 US troops are stationed there. Iran gave advance warning of the strike, and notably targeted a location far from civilian areas.
In fact, satellite imagery before the US strike on Iranian nuclear sites showed that most of the military aircraft at Al Udeid had already been evacuated. A Qatari official confirmed the base had been mostly cleared by Monday. Out of 19 missiles fired, Qatar said its defenses intercepted all but one. The airspace was temporarily closed but quickly reopened.
Reports of a simultaneous strike on a US base in Iraq turned out to be false.
While Qatar condemned Iran’s actions, it also called for renewed diplomacy. Several regional powers criticized Tehran, but crucially, Trump interpreted the limited strike as symbolic, and opted not to escalate further — instead turning his attention to convincing Israel to de-escalate.
What preceded the ceasefire?
Earlier in the day, US strikes targeted Iran’s infamous Evin prison — calling it “an agency of government repression” — and also hit a paramilitary headquarters. The US also attacked infrastructure around the Fordow nuclear facility, effectively crippling access routes.
Is Trump’s victory lap justified?
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