'Ceasefire' watershed for Middle East

Iran launched a limited missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base, a US military air facility in Qatar on Monday, in retaliation for the US bombing of Iran's nuclear sites. Shortly after that, US President Donald Trump announced on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire", but later added that both sides have violated the agreement.

Although Israeli continued to strike Teheran and other cities early Tuesday, the news of a ceasefire has brought a glimmer of hope amid the tensions in the Middle East, which appeared to be on the brink of a cataclysmic war.

This development could mark a significant de-escalation in the current round of military conflict between Israel and Iran, and may offer a window of opportunity in the two-decade-long Iran nuclear issue.