Trump announces ceasefire, Israel strikes Iranian regime’s repression apparatus (June 23 updates)

After nearly two weeks of high-intensity conflict, US President Donald Trump announced on June 23 that Israel and Iran had reached a ceasefire agreement that is set to begin roughly six hours after the announcement. The announcement followed a flurry of kinetic activity: Iran launched missiles at the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in response to American strikes on its nuclear infrastructure, while Israel escalated its air campaign against Iran, targeting missile systems and the regime’s core repression institutions.

The ceasefire schedule and terms

Trump announced that Israel and Iran had reached a full agreement to end hostilities on Truth Social, declaring a complete and total ceasefire between the two countries. The ceasefire is scheduled to start approximately six hours after the announcement, at about midnight Eastern Standard Time, once both sides have concluded their ongoing operations.

According to the terms, Iran will initiate and maintain the ceasefire for 12 hours. At the conclusion of that period, Israel will begin its own 12-hour ceasefire. If upheld, the sequential 24-hour truce will mark the official end of what Trump called “The 12-Day War.”

Shortly after the announcement, Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official had confirmed Tehran’s acceptance of the agreement. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi seemed to contradict the idea that a ceasefire deal was officially agreed upon while still endorsing the concept. “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 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 posted on X.

Earlier that day, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—the largest US military installation in the Middle East. The strike was carried out in retaliation for the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites on June 21. US defense officials confirmed to Axios that the attack involved short- and medium-range ballistic missiles launched from Iranian territory. No US casualties were reported.

Latest kinetic operations against Iran—June 23

• The Israeli Air Force (IAF) concluded its largest wave of strikes on Tehran, deploying approximately 50 jets.
• Israel issued evacuation orders for Districts 6 and 7 of Tehran.
• Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) struck missile stockpiles and launchers across multiple sites.
• Israeli forces disrupted data infrastructure near the Fordow nuclear site.
• Israeli officials are assessing the damage from US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
• A new wave of Israeli strikes in western Iran targeted underground IRGC infrastructure used for missile storage and deployment.
• One missile launcher that prepared to fire at Israeli aircraft was located and destroyed.

Israel targets regime repression tools

Israel’s June 23 strikes also struck the regime’s “repression” apparatus, including:

• The Thar-Allah headquarters, the IRGC’s main command for security and territorial control in Tehran.
• The Basij headquarters, the home of the paramilitary wing of the IRGC, which is central to domestic crackdown operations.
• The Mohammad Rasoul-Allah headquarters, an IRGC base overseeing the coordination with the Basij in greater Tehran.
• The Sayyed al Shuhada Corps, the IRGC ground command for the Isfahan, Yazd, and Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Provinces.
• The Alborz Corps, the provincial IRGC base for the Alborz region.
• The IRGC Intelligence Protection Command, which oversees internal counterintelligence within the IRGC.
• Evin Prison, an infamous facility known for detaining political prisoners and foreign nationals.
• The Islamic Republic Police Intelligence Organization, the intelligence division that supports national police operations.
• The Iranian Public Security Police, a subunit tasked with population control and enforcing regime red lines.

June 22 kinetic operations overview

• Israeli forces targeted a surface-to-air missile launcher in central Tehran.
• For the first time, the IAF struck missile storage sites in Yazd, 2,200 kilometers from Israel.
• Additional Israeli missile and drone sites hit in Esfahan, Bushehr, Ahvaz, and Yazd.
• On the morning of June 22, several missile launchers were destroyed pre-launch.
• On the night of June 21, approximately 30 drones Iran fired toward Israel were intercepted by Israeli air and naval forces.
• The Israeli military also struck a surface-to-surface missile engine production site located 2,000 kilometers away.

Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign influence.