Late Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he was stepping back from his earlier threats to carry out destructive strikes on Iran, moving to de-escalate tensions less than two hours before the deadline he had set for Tehran to comply, warning that failure could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Trump indicated that he would postpone attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power facilities, on the condition that Iran agree to a two-week ceasefire and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil in peacetime. He also noted that Iran had submitted a “workable” 10-point plan for peace, which could form the basis for resolving the conflict that the U.S. and Israel initiated on February 28.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed it had accepted the temporary ceasefire and stated that negotiations with the United States would begin Friday in Islamabad. The council emphasized, however, that this agreement does not constitute an end to the war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open under Iranian military supervision for the next two weeks, though it was unclear if this would represent a full easing of their control over the critical waterway for global energy transport.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump stated that if Iran allowed the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” he would “suspend bombing and attacks on Iran for a period of two weeks.”
Since the outbreak of the war on February 28, Trump has frequently delayed deadlines, often pulling back just before they expire.
On Tuesday, he said the decision was influenced by discussions with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and General Asim Munir, the country’s army chief. Earlier, Sharif had publicly called for a two-week extension to allow diplomatic efforts to proceed and urged Iran to permit passage through the strait for that period.
Trump added that Iran had presented a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” noting that most previous points of dispute between the United States and Iran had been resolved, but that the two-week window would allow the agreement to be fully finalized and implemented.