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The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, barely an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate Iran's power plants and bridges was set to expire.
Trump declared the ceasefire a "total and complete victory," while the White House said the U.S. had "achieved and exceeded" its core military objectives in 38 days.
After the announcement of a ceasefire, Trump released a new statement on Truth Social, framing it as the dawn of a new era for the region.
"A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they've had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made," the U.S. president stated.
"Iran can start the reconstruction process. We'll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just 'hangin' around' in order to make sure that everything goes well," he added.
"I feel confident that it will. Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!!" Trump wrote.
In a telephone call with Agence France-Presse (AFP) before, Trump left no ambiguity about how he viewed the outcome.
"Total and complete victory. 100%. No question about it. No question about it," Trump said when asked if he was claiming victory.
Trump acknowledged significant details remain to be finalized, including arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz.
"We have a 15-point transaction, of which most of those things have been agreed on. We'll see what happens. We'll see if it gets there," he told AFP.
He said Iran had submitted a 10-point proposal that he described as "workable." Trump would not say whether he would return to his original threats against Iranian civilian infrastructure if the deal collapsed. "Well, that you're going to have to see," he said.
Trump said he believed China had played a role in persuading Iran to negotiate a truce, in addition to mediation by Pakistan.
"I hear yes. Yes they were," Trump told AFP when asked whether Beijing was involved in bringing Tehran to the table.
Trump is due to travel to Beijing in mid-May to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, a summit originally scheduled for early April that Trump postponed to oversee the Iran conflict.
Beijing is a close partner of Tehran and the main buyer of Iranian oil, most of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
China also has strong economic ties to Gulf countries and has repeatedly criticized Iranian attacks on them.
On the fate of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, a central concern underlying the war, Trump said it would be covered by the peace framework without providing specifics.
"That will be perfectly taken care of, or I wouldn't have settled," Trump told AFP.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the ceasefire on X, calling it a victory for the United States.
"This is a victory for the United States that President Trump and our incredible military made happen," Leavitt wrote.
"The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace," she added.
Leavitt said Trump had stated from the outset that "Operation Epic Fury" would be a four-to-six-week operation, and that the U.S. "achieved and exceeded our core military objectives in 38 days."
She added that Trump had "got the Strait of Hormuz reopened" and cautioned against underestimating "President Trump's ability to successfully advance America's interests and broker peace."
The ceasefire came after more than 38 days of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Iranian retaliatory strikes that targeted Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf states hosting U.S. military assets, disrupting global energy markets and aviation.
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