US President Donald Trump on Tuesday agreed to suspend his bombing and attacks on Iran for the next two weeks, subject to Tehran agreeing to a ceasefire and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This came less
than two hours before his 8 pm deadline to destroy a “whole civilisation” was set to expire.
Trump’s announcement came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested him to extend his Iran deadline by two weeks, saying diplomatic efforts to halt the US-Israeli war on Iran were “progressing rapidly, strongly and powerfully”.
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump labelled it a “double-sided ceasefire” and said the US has already met and exceeded all military objectives, adding that they are “very far along” with a definitive long-term peace agreement with Iran.
Trump Says US Received Iran’s 10-Point Proposal
In his post, Trump said the US received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which was “a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalised and consummated,” he added. “On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution.”
Earlier, Pakistan requested Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for a corresponding period of two weeks as a “goodwill gesture” and appealed to all warring parties to “observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war.”
Iran, Israel Agree To Ceasefire
Meanwhile, Israel has also agreed to the two-week ceasefire that was announced by Trump, a senior White House official tells CNN. Israel has also agreed to suspend its bombing campaign while negotiations continue, the official said.
Separately, Iran accepted Pakistan’s two-week ceasefire proposal, with the ceasefire approved by the new supreme leader, the New York Times reported.
This came after Trump doubled down on his threats to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure if Tehran’s leadership fails to make a deal, saying, “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
His remarks sparked widespread alarm and condemnation. Trump had earlier set a deadline of Tuesday, 8 PM Eastern Time, for Iran to end its de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route for oil and other commodities.
