Tel Aviv/Tehran. Israel and Iran on Tuesday accepted a ceasefire proposal by US President Donald Trump to end their 12-day war that has shaken the Middle East. The agreement came after Tehran launched a final retaliatory missile barrage on a US military base in Qatar and targeted Israeli cities.

Tehran's early morning salvo on Tuesday killed at least four people in Israel, while Israeli airstrikes struck multiple targets across Iran before dawn.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to the ceasefire in coordination with Trump. He told Israel’s security cabinet Monday night that the country had achieved its objectives in the operation, including degrading Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, damaging its military leadership, and establishing control over Iranian airspace.

“Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli strikes continued in Iranian cities until shortly before 4 a.m., while Iranian missile barrages sent civilians across Israel rushing into bomb shelters. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services confirmed four fatalities and eight injuries.

More than an hour after a deadline passed for Iran to halt attacks, Trump posted on Truth Social: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!”

Iranian state television later reported the ceasefire took effect at 7:30 a.m. local time. Iranian officials have not commented publicly since Trump's announcement, although Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier suggested Iran was open to halting airstrikes if Israel ceased its “illegal aggression” by 4 a.m. Tehran time.

Iranian missiles struck at least three densely populated apartment buildings in Beersheba, Israel’s largest city in the south. First responders pulled four bodies from one building and searched for additional victims. Streets were strewn with shattered glass, rubble, and burned-out vehicles.

Police said some victims were injured despite sheltering in reinforced safe rooms designed to withstand rocket shrapnel, but not direct hits from ballistic missiles.

Trump Declares Ceasefire Is in Effect

Trump said the ceasefire began at midnight Washington time, calling it an “Official END” to the conflict. His statement came shortly after Iran fired missiles at a US military base in Qatar in retaliation for American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. US officials said Iran had warned Washington in advance, and there were no casualties.

The White House credited Saturday’s bombing of Iranian nuclear infrastructure as a turning point in persuading Israel to accept the ceasefire. A senior US official said Trump communicated directly with Netanyahu to finalize the agreement, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff relayed messages to Iran through direct and indirect channels. Qatar also played a role in brokering the deal.

Trump Labels Conflict “12 Day War”

Trump dubbed the conflict the “12 Day War,” evoking comparisons to the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Israel seized the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula. That war still carries political and emotional significance across the region, particularly among Palestinians.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had posted earlier in the conflict that Iran would not surrender, though his current role in the ceasefire negotiations remains unclear.

Iran’s attacks temporarily closed Israeli airspace to emergency flights. Several planes were forced to circle over the Mediterranean, according to local media. Though airports had been shut since the war began, limited emergency flights had resumed days earlier.

Qatar Airways also resumed flights early Tuesday after briefly suspending operations in response to Iran’s missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Flight-tracking data showed commercial traffic returning to Qatari airspace.

At least 24 Israelis have been killed and over 1,000 injured during the fighting. Israeli airstrikes on Iran have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458, according to the US-based group Human Rights Activists. The organization identified 387 civilians and 268 security personnel among the dead.

The U.S. State Department said it has evacuated approximately 250 American citizens and their families from Israel via government, military, and chartered flights. An estimated 700,000 US citizens, most with dual Israeli nationality, remain in the country.

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