The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire, including the temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, following a last-minute diplomatic intervention led by Pakistan. The deal came just hours before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to surrender or face widespread destruction.
Trump announced the ceasefire on Tuesday evening, less than two hours before his self-imposed 8pm Eastern time deadline to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges. Earlier, he had posted on Truth Social that 'a whole civilization will die tonight', and American B-52 bombers were reported to be en route to Iran. However, the ceasefire was mediated through Pakistan, whose Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested the two-week peace to allow diplomacy to proceed.
Trump said he agreed to suspend bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks, subject to Iran agreeing to the complete, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz. He called Tuesday 'a big day for world peace' and claimed Iran had 'had enough'. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the ceasefire, stating that safe passage through the strait would be possible in coordination with Iran's Armed Forces.
Israel's position was initially unclear, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later backed the US ceasefire, though he said it did not cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Pakistan's prime minister had previously stated the ceasefire covered 'everywhere including Lebanon'. The ceasefire process was complicated by Iran releasing two different versions of a 10-point plan intended as a basis for negotiations, with a phrase about 'acceptance of enrichment' appearing in the Farsi version but missing in English translations.
Pakistan has invited the US and Iran to talks in Islamabad on Friday. Iran has agreed to attend, but Washington has not yet publicly accepted. Trump said he believed China had persuaded Iran to negotiate. Despite the ceasefire, airstrikes continued in the hours before the deadline, hitting two bridges, a train station and military infrastructure on Kharg Island. Oil prices fell and stock markets rose on Wednesday amid hopes of resumed oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
