"Congrats World, It's Time for Peace" - Trump "Thanks" Iran After "Very Weak Response"

Wow. Just, wow.

Jun 23, 2025

This article originally appeared on ZeroHedge and was republished with permission.

Guest post by Tyler Durden

Summary: The mainstream media and US officials are collectively reporting it's all over folks - and there's currently a surprisingly open level of acknowledgement that this 'retaliation' on US bases was telegraphed and even coordinated between Iran and Qatar (and that yes, the US knew about it). Tehran is saying the same number of missiles were used in the short-lived assault as were used by US bombers against its nuclear facilities.

"Iran’s missile attack on a US air base in Qatar was telegraphed well in advance, suggesting Tehran intended a symbolic show of force while offering a way to de-escalate after US airstrikes over the weekend," Bloomberg is reporting. And CNN is currently even saying (based on its correspondent on the ground) that the skies over Tehran have grown quiet, after many days of constant strike waves by Israeli warplanes. The US military is saying all missiles were intercepted over Qatar. Airspace over Bahrain, Kuwait, and Dubai have already been reopened.

Certainly markets have reacted consistent to this off-ramp narrative as well, as if it was all baked in: "One official with knowledge of Western intelligence assessments said the attack was a typical example of an ‘off-ramp’ escalation and warned it was more difficult to understand whether — and at what point — Israel would stop its own military activities in the region," Bloomberg continues. The same report cites Jonathan Panikoff, a former deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East, who points to the obvious: “It feels choreographed and intentional. The Iranians get to tell their population they struck a mighty blow against the US, even if they didn’t, and Trump has the room now to decide not to retaliate.”

The Trump White House is now signaling it currently has no plans to launch a 'retaliation' strike in the wake of today's Iranian attacks on US assets in the Gulf. Most reports are claiming that no missiles actually struck the ground at a US base, but it could be that this information will get suppressed regardless. No deaths or injuries have been reported. Trump's statement in the aftermath 'thanking' Iran, ironically enough...

President Trump is essentially saying 'mission accomplished' and has declared that the three nuclear facilities struck by US bombers over the weekend were totally destroyed. But the big questions remain:

1) Will Netanyahu and the Israelis play ball with the 'off-ramp' opportunity?
2) Most importantly, where is the estimated 400kg of Iran's enriched uranium now?

To some degree, more 'known unknowns' (cue Rumsfeld) have been created in the wake of Trump's alleged destruction of Iran's enrichment facilities. Perhaps the Iranians will now hasten to begin the actual secretive nuclear bomb program?

* * *

Update(1335ET): NY Times is reporting that advanced notice was given, which appears confirmation that plans of the 'retaliation' attack were leaked beforehand and was in many ways telegraphed publicly.

"Iran coordinated the attacks on the American airbase in Qatar with Qatar officials and gave advanced notice that attacks were coming to minimize casualties, according to three Iranian officials familiar with the plans," per the NY Times' reporting.

War theater? Or just one big test of US-supplied anti-air defense hardware? One regional journalist and pundit writes:

So far this is looking like the response we got in 2020 in response to the killing of Qassem Soleimani. A telegraphed attack on US base that did not result in fatalities but is “face saving” for the Iranian regime.

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And meanwhile markets seem to be taking this all in as a bit of staged war theater...

Some odd trading behavior to say the least, seemingly indicating markets aren't buying the 'spectacle' thus far...

* * *

Update(1242ET): The Iranian response appears to have begun, as it's raining missiles over Doha, Qatar. AFP journalists are reporting explosions over Doha, and Reuters has also cited witnesses to the blasts.

Axios is reporting that Iran has launched six missiles toward American bases in Qatar. "Iranian missiles were launched targeting US bases in Qatar and Iraq," according to JPost's Amichai Stein. i24News is reporting that "at least 10 missiles were fired at Qatar."

IRAN LAUNCHES MISSILE STRIKE AT US AIR BASE IN QATAR: TASNIM
UAE AIRSPACE IS CLOSED: FOX NEWS
AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM ACTIVATED OVER US AIN AL-ASSAD AIRBASE IN IRAQ ON ATTACK FEARS
IRAN LAUNCHES MISSILES AT US BASES IN QATAR, IRAQ AND KUWAIT
ALARMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE IN KUWAIT
BAHRAIN URGES CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS TO GO TO SAFE PLACE
IRAN SAYS ITS ATTACK WAS FAR FROM QATAR RESIDENTIAL AREAS
Trump in Situation Room with Defense Secretary, Joint Chiefs — CNBC
U.S. military jets are currently scrambling from bases in Saudi Arabia: Report
Iranian military statement: we targeted the Al-Udeid Base in Qatar with 'devastating and powerful' missile attack.