UN SG António Guterres Welcomes Announced Israel-Iran Ceasefire Amid Lack of Confirmation

The UN Secretary-General’s remarks follow an announcement made by US President Donald Trump on Monday, June 23, 2025.

By RMN News Service
June 24, 2025

António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has warmly welcomed President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, urging both nations to fully respect it. Guterres stated his sincere hope that this ceasefire could be replicated in other regional conflicts, emphasizing that the fighting must stop as the people of both countries have already “suffered too much”.

The UN Secretary-General’s remarks follow an announcement made by US President Donald Trump on Monday, June 23, 2025. Trump declared a “complete and total ceasefire” agreement between Israel and Iran on his Truth Social platform, claiming an “imminent end” to what he termed the “12-day war”. According to Trump, the ceasefire was “fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran” and was set to be phased in over 24 hours. He stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran would initiate the ceasefire, with Israel following 12 hours later, after which the “War will be considered, ENDED!”. Trump congratulated both countries for their “Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence” in ending a conflict he believed “could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East”.

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However, RMN News reports that neither Israel nor Iran has confirmed this agreement or a pending cessation in hostilities. [ RMN News Report ]

The conflict, dubbed the “12-day war” by Trump, reportedly began on June 13. It started with Israel’s “massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites,” codenamed “Operation Rising Lion”. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched “Operation True Promise 3,” a large-scale drone and missile campaign targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.

Tensions further escalated when the US conducted “precision airstrikes early Sunday morning on three key Iranian nuclear facilities” under “Operation Midnight Hammer,” to which Iran retaliated by launching multiple missiles at US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Meanwhile, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) concluded its 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul on Sunday, June 22, 2025. During this session, the OIC adopted the Istanbul Declaration, which strongly condemned recent Israeli strikes on Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan referred to the OIC as the “voice of the Muslim world”. The declaration included 156 resolutions reflecting the shared concerns of its member states and also urged adherence to the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan.