US President Donald Trump said on Monday night that Iran and Israel have agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire, but Tehran has pushed back on this claim.
The ceasefire is expected to be enacted at about 12am Washington time, “at which point the War will be considered ended”, Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
“Officially, Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world,” he said.
“This is a war that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will,” Mr Trump wrote. “God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and God bless the world.”
But Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that there was currently no agreement on a ceasefire.
"As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around," he said in a post on X.
Mr Araghchi added, however, that if Israel stops its "illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards".
"The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later," he said.
Iranian media outlets had earlier cast doubt on Mr Trump's claims. Mehr news agency described it as an "imaginary plan" by "liar Trump". It quoted a denial by Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian pro-government pundit and former adviser to Iran's nuclear negotiating team.
"No ceasefire. Fake news," he said.
The Israeli military had warned Tehran residents earlier on Monday that it was preparing for several more days of strikes on the city.
Israel and Iran have been engaged in retaliatory air strikes over the past 12 days. Israel launched a “pre-emptive” strike against Iran, attacking the infrastructure of its nuclear programme. Iran retaliated.
The US entered the war on Saturday, launching attacks on three of Iran's nuclear sites. Mr Trump claimed that the US had "obliterated" Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities, which he said had put Tehran close to obtaining a nuclear weapon – something he has reiterated could not be allowed to happen.
The announcement comes after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at a major US military base in Qatar, but Mr Trump said Tehran had warned Washington before the attack.
A Qatari military official said two waves comprising 19 missiles were launched at the base. All but one were shot down and there were no injuries.
US Central Command said it had “successfully defended against the attack".
Washington had warned Iran against retaliation, but Mr Trump said after the strikes that Tehran had warned the US beforehand to lower the risk of casualties.
Mr Trump earlier said he hoped Iran's attack meant it had "gotten it all out of their 'system'," and expressed a hope for peace.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
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2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
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December 2024
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May 2025
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July 2025
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August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
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Three stars
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Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
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Tony Booth, professor of education
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