President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the U.S. would suspend its attacks against Iran for two weeks if Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz.
"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 wrote on social media.
The message came less than two hours before President Trump’s deadline for Iran to reach an agreement or face widespread destruction.
"We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate," President Trump continued. "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."
Iran's Supreme National Security Council accepted the terms of the agreement shortly afterward. It said Iran would begin additional negotiations with the U.S. in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday.
"It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war," the body said in its statement. "Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force."
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in a further statement:
1. If attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran cease, our powerful armed forces will also cease their defensive attacks.
2. For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible in coordination with the Iranian armed forces, taking into account existing technical limitations
A White House official said Tuesday Israel had agreed to the terms of the cease-fire, which are meant to apply to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well.
The exact timing to start the ceasefire was not immediately clear. U.S. officials said U.S. forces had stopped their attacks on Tuesday. Some Iranian attacks against Israel and Gulf states continued. Missile alerts sounded in Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to give a press briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday morning.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday said "There are discussions about in person talks" to take place as part of the cease-fire negotiations, "but nothing is final until announced by the President or the White House."
As Tuesday's deadline approached, a proposal to pause the fighting between the U.S. and Iran emerged.
Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said negotiations are “progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully” and could produce results soon. Earlier on Tuesday, he urged Trump to extend his 8 p.m. deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to continue.
Sharif also called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the same two-week period as a goodwill gesture and urged all sides to observe a temporary ceasefire.
The White House acknowledged the proposal, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying, “The president has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come.”
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Trump had warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if an agreement is not reached by his deadline. He has not clarified what he meant by that threat, but has previously said the U.S. would target bridges and power plants if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
On Tuesday, the U.S. struck military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, a key export hub for fossil fuels. Israel struck certain railways and bridges elsewhere in Iran. But a major new offensive against the country appears to have been averted.
Iran has accused Trump of threatening “war crimes,” and vowed to retaliate if the U.S. follows through, saying potential strikes could target not only military sites but also civilian infrastructure in the region.
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Any escalation could also be felt at home, as Americans face global uncertainty and the prospect of higher fuel prices. The Energy Information Administration, the statistical and analytical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, has acknowledged the uncharted territory of a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Just as we had never before seen the strait close, we’ve never seen it reopen,” said Tristan Abbey, administrator of the Energy Information Administration. “What exactly that looks like remains to be seen. Full restoration of flows will take months. Our modeling indicates that fuel prices will continue to rise until these variables resolve.”
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $4.14 as of Tuesday, according to AAA. That’s about 70 cents higher than a month ago.
