Trump announces the end of the US-Iran war! A complete timeline from nighttime airstrikes to ceasefire

Trump announced on June 12 that the US-Iran war has ended, with both sides reaching a "very strong memorandum of understanding." Over the past 36 hours, US forces conducted airstrikes on Iran, Iran retaliated and blocked the Strait of Hormuz, causing global oil prices to rise.
(Background summary: Breaking news » US-Iran ceasefire agreement 6 major clauses revealed! Promising to "reopen the Strait of Hormuz, lift sanctions," expected to be announced within hours)
(Additional background: Trump: Cancelled tonight’s Iran bombing, the US and Israel and other Middle Eastern countries secretly reached a "historic deal")

Table of Contents

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• First Wave: The May-end agreement and additional conditions
• Second Wave: The night of June 10 war room and airstrikes
• Third Wave: The June 11 counterattack and Strait blockade
• Fourth Wave: The evening of June 11 tough signals
• Taiwan Perspective: The impact of the Hormuz Strait blockade

US President Trump announced on June 12 that the United States has ended the war with Iran. He said at a phone rally in Georgia: "Today we ended the war with Iran, they have agreed never to possess nuclear weapons, which is our insistence and the entire goal, accounting for 95% of the agreement."

But this "ended" war experienced a complete military cycle in the past 36 hours—from war room meetings, airstrikes, Strait blockade to counterattacks. Below is the full timeline of the escalation and ceasefire in the US-Iran conflict.

First Wave: The May-end agreement and additional conditions

According to Axios, Trump was originally able to reach a preliminary agreement with Iran by the end of May. But after a White House war room meeting on May 29, he demanded two additional conditions: Iran must start diluting its enriched uranium stockpile within 60 days, and promise not to charge tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In exchange, the US agreed that nuclear materials could remain in Iran for processing, and accepted oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif told mediators that it would take four to five days to get a response, but ultimately it turned into nearly two weeks of waiting.

Second Wave: The night of June 10 war room and airstrikes

On the afternoon of June 10, Trump held a meeting in the White House war room to discuss a new round of strikes against Iran. That evening, US Central Command launched airstrikes on multiple targets inside Iran.

According to Iranian media reports, explosions were heard across Iran in the early hours, southern coastal areas were attacked, and Tehran’s air defense system was activated. US Marines, Air Force, and Navy launched precision-guided weapons at Iranian military reconnaissance facilities, communication systems, and air defense sites.

Third Wave: The June 11 counterattack and Strait blockade

Iran responded quickly and on multiple fronts:

• Airstrikes on US forces: Drones attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, Patriot radar facilities became targets
• Closing the Strait of Hormuz: Announced at dawn, all oil tankers and merchant ships are prohibited from passing, any attempting to do so "will be attacked"
• Maritime clashes: Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US ships near the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s top military advisor Rezaei also warned that Trump "thinks he can get rid of the quagmire with bombs," and the US must choose between accepting Iran’s conditions and losing international dignity.

At the same time, Iranian negotiators’ sources denied reports of negotiations with the US.

Fourth Wave: The evening of June 11 tough signals

Trump posted multiple messages on social media. He first claimed that the US had "direct communication" with Iranian officials, then stated that the US would take tough measures against Iran, "seize Halek Island, and fully control the oil and gas markets."

But hours later, Trump canceled further strikes on Iran and hinted on the "Real Social" platform that an agreement had been reached.

Taiwan Perspective: The impact of the Hormuz Strait blockade

The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most important oil transportation route, with about 1 in 5 barrels of global crude oil passing through it. Taiwan imports about 250k barrels of crude oil daily, most of which come from the Middle East. The blockade not only pushes up oil prices but also directly affects Taiwan’s energy supply chain.

This also echoes Taiwan’s recent concern about inflation—May US CPI rose to 4.2%, a three-year high, with energy prices being a key factor driving inflation. If the US-Iran conflict continues, Taiwanese consumers will feel more acutely the rising fuel costs and price increases.