Citing conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he was “suspending” bombings and attacks on Iran for the next two weeks.
“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,” read a post on his TruthSocial account.
“This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East,” he continued.
According to Trump, the U.S. has received a 10-point peace plan from Iran that will be used as a basis for further negotiations. “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 finalized and consummated,” he said. “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,” he added.
According to White House officials, Israel has also agreed to the two-week ceasefire.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire in a posting on X. “Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future,” he said.
“To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture. We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region,” he added.
Iranian state TV subsequently flashed an announcement claiming Trump had accepted Iran’s terms for ending the war, describing it as a “humiliating retreat” by the U.S. president.
Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also issued an official statement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council. “On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I express gratitude and appreciation for my dear brothers H.E. Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif and H.E. Field Marshal Munir for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region,” it read.
“In response to the brotherly request of P.M. Sharif in his tweet, and considering the request by the U.S. for negotiations based on its 15-point proposal as well as announcement by POTUS about acceptance of the general framework of Iran’s 10-point proposal as a basis for negotiations, I hereby declare on behalf of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council: If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations,” he added.
Araghchi said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible for this two-week period via coordination with Iran’s armed forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.
According to Iran, negotiations between Tehran and Washington would take place in Islamabad and the ceasefire could be extended by mutual agreement. “It is emphasized that this does not mean an end to the war and Iran will accept an end to the war only when—in view of Iran’s acceptance of the principles envisaged in the 10-point plan—its details are also finalized in the negotiations,” it added.
The ceasefire comes as relief for much of the world, as the ceasefire announcement came mere hours before the expiry of a deadline imposed by Trump threatening to bomb Iran’s bridges and power plants. The conflict, which started on Feb. 28, has thus far claimed over 5,000 lives in nearly a dozen countries, including more than 1,600 civilians in Iran.