Breaking: Ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran announced by Trump

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday evening that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran had been agreed and hoped it would lead to lasting peace.

"It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in-progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED," Mr Trump wrote on social media."

The historic news comes after Iran unleashed a volley of missile attacks on US airbases across the Middle East on Monday in a furious response to America's weekend strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Targets in Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq were hit in the assault.

US President Donald Trump reacted defiantly, insisting the damage from America's earlier action had been devastating.

He declared: "The sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it. Only the fake news would say anything different in order to try and demean, as much as possible - and even they say they were 'pretty well destroyed!'"

Iran responded to suprise attacks described as "gamechanging" by experts carried out by the US over the weekend, which "obliterated" the three key nuclear facilities of Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

Israel had urged America to unleash its devastating 30,000lb "bunker buster" bomb on Iran's heavily fortified nuclear facilities - prompting last night's B-2 stealth bomber raid, codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer.

Startling photographs reveal six craters at the site, one for each of the six bombs dropped in the early hours.

In a triumphant address, Donald Trump hailed the US strikes and vowed they had left Iran crippled. Speaking directly to Tehran, the president declared: "Remember, there are many targets left," and warned that any future operation would be far easier for US forces than last night's assault.

US Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed that afternoon: "The goal of the operation - destroying nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan - has been achieved."

Initial assessments confirm all three sites took serious hits.

In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "We have completed our very successful attack on Iran's nuclear programme. All US aircraft are now outside of Iranian airspace."

He also hinted at further action if Iran failed to back down, telling the nation that any future strike would be "easier than last night."

With the ceasefire now having been announced for 12 hours, the world waits with baited breath for the Iranian response, and whether this cessation of hostilities can continue into the future.