The Day the Twelve-Day War Ended

The morning began with Lebanese officials emphasizing neutrality as Iranian missiles struck Israeli cities and Israel responded with attacks on Iranian airports. Patriarch Rai condemned the Damascus church bombing that killed 25 people, while Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi coordinated with Russia on the escalation.

By midday, Lebanese sources reported the state had obtained guarantees from Hezbollah to stay out of the Iran-Israel war, marking concrete progress in neutrality efforts. Parliament approved World Bank loans and military salary increases.

The afternoon brought Iranian retaliation for American strikes, with missiles targeting US bases in Qatar and Iraq. Israel escalated operations in southern Lebanon, striking Hezbollah positions north of the Litani River for the first time since the conflict began.

Evening headlines shifted dramatically when Trump announced Iran and Israel had agreed to a "complete ceasefire" and "official end" to the twelve-day war, concluding the regional escalation that began with Israel's June 13 strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.