Israel, Iran and the US claim victory after 12-day intense war. Who really won?

After a great deal discombobulation and a deficiency of clearness, persia and Israel on Tuesday announced that they have agreed on a peace deal, and will adhere to the ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump.

The announcement comes after a turbulent 12 hours for the region that had raised fears of a regional war. Qatar shut down its airspace on Monday night, shortly after which Iran attacked the Al Udeid air base near Doha. Iran's attack came in retaliation for American strikes on its three nuclear sites over the weekend.

Neighbouring countries Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE also shutting down their airspace, hinting that the Israel-Iran conflict might blow up.

However, after Iran's missile attack ended, Trump took to his platform Truth Social and stated he had achieved a ceasefire between Iran and Israel which will be implemented in the next 24 hours.

With the ceasefire now confirmed and in place, all three players - Israel, Iran and the United States - have claimed victory in this 12-day war.

As per the latest statement from Netanyahu's office, the IDF "controlled Tehran's skies" as it worked to achieve its goal - eliminate the threat of nuclear and ballistic weapons.

Israel's biggest gain in the past 12 days was the US joining the war and attacking Iran, which is something Netanyahu has been trying to achieve for the past three decades. 

Days before the US strikes on Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel had been acting "unilaterally" and the US was not involved in Operation Rising Lion.

A week later, the US, led by Trump, proceeded to show that it will continue to stand by Israel.

Another gain for Israel was the shift in focus from its ongoing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, where, every day, at least 30 people have been killed near aid sites while waiting for food and other essential supplies.

The US, under Donald Trump, claimed to stay out of Israel's attacks on Iran, until it "ran out of patience" and stepped in, raising the stakes in the Middle East like never before.

The US pulled a decoy move and tricked the world into thinking it might attack by stationing a few B-2 bombers in Guam, and then silently carried out the strikes in Iran.

In his White House address, Trump called Iran the "Middle East bully" to work for peace, warning that future attacks will be "far greater and a lot easier."

The US president also claimed large-scale damage to Iranian nuclear sites, especially the Fordow nuclear plant. However, doubts continue to remain as experts state Iran may have outsmarted Washington and safeguarded its nuclear supplies.

However, shortly after the attack, Trump was faced with mass protests, online trolling and a group of senators ready to impeach him for his "unconstitutional act" and for endangering the geopolitical state of the world.

Hence, even after Iran launched an attack on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq, the US could not risk deepening the conflict. Hours after the attack, it was revealed that Iran had informed Qatar of the strikes, triggering airspace closures and an evacuation of American military personnel from the base.

The attack on the Al Udeid air base, hence, turned out to be a win-win situation for both America and Iran. Why? because Iran was able to showcase its strength and the US lost no personnel due to an "early notice" from Tehran.

Trump then proceeded to play the role of the "peacemaker" and announced a ceasefire.

Iran, which has appeared to have suffered the most damage, has also claimed victory in the 12-day war. With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hiding away in a bunker, Iran continued to strike back, causing equal damage to Israel.

Iran, which has not attacked a country in nearly 300 years but is known for backing militant groups as part of its "Axis of Resistance", acted in a controlled manner, especially after the US struck three of its nuclear sites.

While the US and Israel claimed they had set back and destroyed Iran's nuclear programme, Tehran may not have really lost out on much despite damage to its nuclear sites and the assassination of its nuclear scientists by Mossad.

With the war in Ukraine, Gaza and the African continent, the world cannot afford another war, especially one with the US at the centre and Iran knew this.

Which is why not only did Iran choose to issue an advance notice before its attack on the US military base, it also made a U-turn after denying the ceasefire proposal.

Even after the US struck Iran, Khamenei's warning focused on Israel, which has been an "enemy" for the Islamic Republic since its creation. Considering this, Iran continued to fire missiles towards Israel "until the last minute" before the ceasefire deadline.

Ali Vaez, Iran director for the International Crisis Group, told the New York Times, that all three countries will continue to stake their claim for victory in this 12-day war.

"The United States can say it has set back Iran’s nuclear program, Israel can say it has weakened Iran, a regional adversary, and Iran can say it has survived and pushed back against much stronger military powers," he told NYT.

The ceasefire in the Middle East has been welcomed by all, but the fact of the matter is - this truce is a very fragile one. Despite this ceasefire, Trump now has to work towards brining the US-Iran nuclear deal back on the table.

Furthermore, Israel continues to be at war with Hamas, with hundreds of hostages lives still at stake as the Gaza war nears its third year.

Israel also continues to be at loggerheads with Lebanon, where an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday, fired shortly after the truce with Iran, killed one person in the southern region of the country. 

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