By 8am Tuesday morning, the world exhaled.
Donald Trump had just declared a “complete and total” ceasefire between Iran and Israel. After nearly two weeks of missile strikes, air raids, and a fast-escalating regional conflict, the announcement felt like a break in the clouds. Iran had given advance notice before hitting the US base in Qatar. Israel claimed it had achieved its objectives. Diplomats across the Gulf were already prepping talking points about “restoring calm.”
But by noon, everything unraveled. Missiles were reportedly detected over Israeli skies. Within hours, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz was back on national television, not to celebrate peace, but to promise “high-intensity strikes on the heart of Tehran.” The war that was supposed to last 12 days was suddenly rebooted, more volatile than ever.
And now, everyone’s wondering: Did the war ever really stop?
A War That Spreads Faster Than Peace
Let’s rewind a bit, we all know the war started on June 13, and you can read about it here. But there’s some news that happened afterwards;
On June 22, the United States shocked the world by launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, key sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. The bombers came from Missouri, bypassing all regional bases. It was a calculated, stealthy move designed to avoid giving Iran a clear target to strike back.
Iran still found one.
On June 23, Tehran launched missiles at Al Udeid, the US’s largest military base in Qatar. The strike was symbolic. No casualties. No damage. But a clear message: “We can hit you where it hurts”. Iran even warned Qatar in advance, signaling it didn’t want a full-scale war.
Then came the deal, or what sounded like one. On June 24, Trump took to Truth Social, announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. He urged both sides not to “violate” the agreement, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed a similar stance: if Israel stopped attacking, Iran would stop firing.
But nothing was signed. No documents. No joint pressers. Just a handful of statements and crossed fingers.
Who Violated What?
By late Tuesday morning, the ceasefire was already being buried as Israel accused Iran of launching fresh missiles. Iran said that was a lie. State media in Tehran called the Israeli claims “baseless,” insisting that Iran had not fired anything and was still committed to peace, “conditional” peace.
But Israel wasn’t interested in debate. Katz gave the green light for retaliatory strikes and the world braced.
And suddenly, Trump’s “complete and total” truce looked like just another tweet; big on drama, short on durability.
When Peace Talks Feel Like Performance Art
What makes this mess even harder to follow is the whole theatre around it.
Iran wants to project strength but avoid open war. Israel wants to weaken Iran’s capabilities but avoid being seen as the aggressor. The US wants credit for diplomacy, but doesn’t want to actually get too involved. And all three are trying to control the global narrative faster than they’re launching weapons.
Although this isn’t new, we saw a similar pattern back in 2020 when Trump ordered the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Iran responded with missiles then the US held back and all tensions cooled
But this time, the stakes are higher, and the battlefield is bigger.
Why This Matters in Nigeria (and Everywhere Else)
For Nigerians, this isn’t some faraway fight. Gulf nations are home to tens of thousands of Nigerian workers. Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain have already shut down airspace. Over 100 flights were grounded or rerouted. A disruption like this affects everything from remittances to job relocations to visa processing delays.
Even more directly: Oil prices are spiking. Every escalation tightens the global market. And when oil prices jump, so do fuel subsidies, transport costs, and inflation back home. You may not hear sirens in Abuja, but your wallet will feel the blast.
Where This Is Going
Right now, the so-called “12 Day War” is in overtime. Will Israel actually bomb Tehran? Will Iran retaliate for the three Israelis killed in Monday’s missile strike? Can Qatar or France pull off another diplomatic save where the USA failed before everything spirals again?
Nobody knows. And that’s the scary part.
For now, the region remains on a knife’s edge. Trump’s ceasefire gave the illusion of closure, but missiles don’t care about press releases.
Final Thought
The 12 Day War was supposed to be a flash in the pan; fast, fierce, and over.In fact, celebrations around the ceasefire had already begun.
Instead, it’s become a masterclass in how not to do peace; no signature or shared definitions. Just public threats and private warnings.
The world dared to hope for peace, just for a moment. Then the skies lit up again, and that hope went quiet.
For more stories, visit our website and follow us @Insidesuccessng for more updates and info. Subscribe to ISN for exclusive content, expert-led events, job opportunities, and more.
Leave a Reply