The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they happen.
After ceasefire announcement, IDF says sirens expected to sound in southern Israel
The IDF Home Front Command says sirens are expected to sound in the coming minutes in southern Israel.
The warning comes after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran.
Biden’s Mideast czar McGurk praises Trump for handling of Iran
Brett McGurk, the Biden administration’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, praises US President Donald Trump for his handling of the conflict with Iran.
“Bottom line, this is about the best place we can be. I give extremely high marks to this national security team and President Trump for managing this crisis,” McGurk tells CNN.
Brett McGurk, former Biden NSC Coordinator for the Middle East: "This is about the best place we can be. I give extremely high marks to this national security team and President Trump for managing this crisis." pic.twitter.com/ivBsu1IFJC
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 24, 2025
Qatar Airways resumes its flights
Qatar Airways resumes flights after briefly closing its airspace due to the Iranian attack on the US Al Udeid airbase in Qatar.
Flight-tracking data shows commercial aircraft again flying in Qatari airspace, signaling the capital believes the threat on the energy-rich nation has passed.
Trump’s ceasefire announcement surprised some of his top officials — report
US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an Israeli-Iran ceasefire surprised some of the top officials in Trump’s own administration, The New York Times reports, citing an anonymous White House official.
Trump announced the ceasefire in an abrupt post on the Truth Social platform.
Israel has not yet confirmed it agreed.
Iran foreign minister: no final ceasefire agreement; if Israel stops, we’ll stop
Iran’s foreign minister says that Tehran will stop its attacks if Israel stops its airstrikes by 4 a.m. local time.
The comment by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi marks the first official remarks from Iran to US President Donald Trump’s claimed ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
Araghchi sends message on the social platform X at 4:16 a.m. Tehran time.
“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Araghchi writes. “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.”
Araghchi adds: “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”
Araghchi says in a follow-up post: “The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am.”
“Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute,” he says.
After ceasefire announcement, IDF says no changes to guidelines for public
The IDF Home Front Command says there are no changes to its guidelines for the Israeli public, after US President Donald Trump said that Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire.
“The public is requested to continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command through official channels,” the military says.
Gathering are still banned, and schools and workplaces are closed under the guidelines.
Drone targets Iraq’s Taji military base, no casualties, state news agency says
An unidentified drone targets a site at Iraq’s Taji military base north of Baghdad, the Iraqi state news agency reports, citing a military official.
There were no casualties, the official says.
US judge blocks Trump plan to close Harvard’s doors to international students
A federal judge blocks US President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing his plan to bar foreign nationals from entering the United States to study at Harvard University.
US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issues an injunction barring Trump’s administration from carrying out its latest bid to curtail Harvard’s ability to host international students amid an escalating fight pitting the Republican president against the prestigious Ivy League school.
The preliminary injunction extends a temporary order the judge issued on June 5 that prevented the administration from enforcing a proclamation Trump signed a day earlier that cited national security concerns to justify why Harvard could no longer be trusted to host international students.
Footage shows US bombers that took part in strike on Iran
Footage released by the US Air Force shows B-2 bombers taking off from a base in Missouri for strikes against Iran, and returning to their hangars.
US held direct, indirect talks with Iran on ceasefire, White House official says
US President Donald Trump arranged an Israel-Iran ceasefire during a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday afternoon, a senior White House official tells Reuters.
US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff held direct and indirect calls with Iran to broker the ceasefire, the official says.
Israel agreed to the ceasefire so long as Iran refrains from launching further attacks, and Iran has signaled it will not carry out more strikes, the official says.
Separately, Trump tells NBC News that he expects the Israel-Iran ceasefire to last “forever.”
“I think the ceasefire is unlimited. It’s going to go forever,” he says.