Trump’s surprise ceasefire shakes US officials and allies: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
24 Jun 2025 12:57

As Trump announces a ceasefire with no full alignment from allies, US officials scramble to assess the implications amid undisclosed Iranian conditions.

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US President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Pool via AP)

US President Donald Trump’s abrupt announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the Israeli entity has taken his top officials by surprise, according to a senior White House official cited by The New York Times on Monday.

The unnamed official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was involved in the negotiations that led to the ceasefire.

Trump made the announcement shortly after 6 pm Eastern Time. However, senior members of his administration were reportedly unaware of the final decision. In a sign of the uncertainty surrounding the agreement, "Israel" launched additional strikes on Iranian targets just three hours after Trump’s statement.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had reportedly spent two months in direct and indirect talks with Iranian officials in an attempt to reach an accord allegedly aimed at 'curbing Iran's nuclear program'. It is worth noting that Iran has consistently reaffirmed the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, emphasizing that it operates under the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and remains subject to international monitoring and inspections.

Iranian officials frequently cite the religious edict [fatwa] issued by Iranian Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, which explicitly prohibits the development and use of nuclear weapons, underscoring Tehran’s assertion that its nuclear activities are strictly for civilian and energy purposes.

The official told The New York Times that "Israel" agreed to the ceasefire on the condition that it would not face further attacks from Iran. The official also claimed that recent US military strikes on three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites played a significant role in pushing all sides toward negotiations.

Despite the announcement, the official did not disclose what, if any, conditions Iran wanted in return, particularly regarding its enriched uranium stockpile, leaving questions about the durability and scope of the agreement, as per the report.