Trump says Israel and Iran agree to ‘total ceasefire’, but rockets keep firing

US President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a staggered ceasefire beginning Tuesday that would bring about an ‘official end’ to the conflict.

“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a complete and total ceasefire,” Trump wrote Monday evening on his Truth Social platform.

There was no immediate comment from Israel or Iran confirming the agreement.

Missiles continue to hit

Hours later, sirens sounded in northern Israel as the military said it was working to intercept the latest barrage of Iranian missiles, the sixth wave in some two hours, according to statements released by the army.

“A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas in northern Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel,” the army said in a statement, adding it was “operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat”.

Emergency services said three people were killed in an Iranian missile strike in southern Israel, moments before Trump’s announcement.

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Ceasefire

As outlined by Trump, the ceasefire would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations. Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.

“Upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world,” he said, adding that both sides had agreed to remain “peaceful and respectful” during each phase of the process.

Trump’s announcement came just hours after Iran launched strikes against an American military base in Qatar, which he described as “weak” retaliation for US strikes over the weekend against Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran and Israel have exchanged wave after wave of air strikes since Israel unleashed a major military offensive on June 13.

© Agence France-Presse