The Prime Minister heads to a Nato summit on Tuesday amid uncertainty surrounding a ceasefire between Israel and Iran announced by US President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump said on Monday night he had secured the “complete and total ceasefire” following Iran’s retaliation against a US strike on its nuclear facilities.
Iran’s foreign minister said it would stop attacks if Israel stopped its own strikes by 4am Tehran time (2am BST) on Tuesday while state television said a ceasefire had begun.
Israel has declined to comment on Mr Trump’s ceasefire post on social media, but said four people had been killed by Iranian missile strikes after the 4am deadline, with the Israel Airports Authority adding the country’s skies were closed to planes until further notice.
"CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE..." –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/hLTBT34KnG
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 23, 2025
Ahead of the two-day summit in the Netherlands, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Sir Keir would continue to press for a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Iran crisis.
The UK lifted advice for its citizens to shelter in place in Qatar after Iran launched a retaliatory attack on the US Al Udeid military base. Qatar also reopened its airspace.
Mr Trump called Iran’s action “a very weak response” and thanked Tehran “for giving us early notice” to avoid any casualties.
He later said in a Truth Social post that Israel and Iran had agreed a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours, saying the two countries had approached him “almost simultaneously”.
He said the ceasefire would be phased-in over 24 hours, giving the two countries six hours to have “wound down and completed their in progress, final missions”.
“The World, and the Middle East, are the real WINNERS!” he posted later. “They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they stray from the road of RIGHTEOUSNESS & TRUTH.”
As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025
As of now, there is NO "agreement" on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no…
A senior White House official said Mr Trump had been in contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the ceasefire plan, while vice president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff had been in communication with Iran through direct and indirect channels.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X there was “NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations”.
But he said Iran had “no intention” of continuing attacks if Israel stopped its “illegal aggression against the Iranian people” by 4am Tehran time (2am BST), around a quarter of an hour before his post.
He added a “final decision” on ending military operations would be made later.
Israeli airstrikes targeted Tehran before the 4am deadline, while Israel reported three waves of missiles from Iran overnight emergency services saying the barrage had killed four people in Beersheba in the south of the country.
The Israeli UN mission said it had no comment on the president’s post.
Meanwhile, the UK started evacuating Britons from Israel, with the first group of 63 flown back via Cyprus.
Downing Street said “around 1,000” people had requested a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who had registered their presence in Israel or Palestine with the Foreign Office.
The Government has withdrawn staff from its embassy in Iran and it is operating “remotely”, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs.
Mr Lammy previously spoke of a two-week window for a diplomatic solution after Mr Trump’s apparent decision last week to delay US military action, but on Monday said the window had “narrowed” although the need for a diplomatic solution remained.
Mr Lammy said: “My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately.
“The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences.”
