President Trump agreed to a two-week pause on military strikes on Iran in a dramatic pivot that came less than 90 minutes before his 8 p.m. deadline — a move he claimed could lead to a broader Middle East peace deal soon.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said he spoke with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, who urged him to hold off on what he described as a “destructive force” set to be unleashed on Iran.
The cease-fire is “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.
“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,” Trump said. “We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is 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 finalized and consummated. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The US demanded that Iran restore shipping through the narrow waterway that carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply or face what Trump warned could be devastating military action.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump warned on Truth Social Tuesday morning.
“… We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.”
Pakistan, which has served as the main mediator for the US and Iran throughout the weeks-long war, made an 11th-hour bid for Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks — proposing that Iran could temporarily reopen the strait for that period “as a goodwill gesture.”
“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,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The proposal came after the US unleashed targeted strikes on Iran’s critical Kharg Island, through which Iran exports roughly 90% of its crude oil.
Roughly 50 strikes were carried out on bunkers, a radar station and ammunition storage on the Islamic Republic’s oil-critical stronghold — while stopping short of targeting key energy infrastructure such as oil tanker landing docks, Fox News reported, citing a senior US official.
Tuesday’s tensions left global markets on edge, with fears mounting that the US could follow through on threats to target key Iranian infrastructure including bridges and power plants, escalating the conflict.
“We have a plan because of the power of our military where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night,” Trump said Monday, “where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again.”
He said “it will happen over a period of four hours.”
