U.S. President Donald Trump announced early Tuesday evening that he has agreed to “suspend the bombing and attack on Iran for a period of two weeks,” contingent upon Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on social media, Trump described the agreement as a “double-sided CEASEFIRE,” stating it is dependent on the Islamic Republic of Iran ensuring the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be permitted for the next two weeks under the management of Iranian military forces.
As part of the ceasefire arrangement, Trump disclosed that he received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he believes provides a “workable basis on which to negotiate.” He indicated that nearly all past points of contention between the U.S. and Iran have been addressed, and the two-week period will enable both parties to finalise a deal.
According to Iranian state media, Iran’s Supreme Security Council announced that negotiations with the United States would commence on Friday, although it added that these discussions do not signify the end of the conflict.
Amid shifting goals and timelines, Trump reiterated that he feels Washington’s objectives have been met. Previously, he had issued Iran an ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz by the end of Tuesday, threatening bombing of civilian infrastructure if they failed to comply—an escalation that would represent one of the most significant developments in the ongoing war.
As the deadline approached, Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if an agreement is not reached to end the conflict. Throughout the day, strikes on Iran intensified, targeting railway and road bridges, an airport, and a petrochemical plant, resulting in power outages, as reported by Iranian media.
In response, Iran declared it would no longer refrain from targeting infrastructure of its Gulf neighbours and claimed to have conducted new strikes on a ship in the Gulf, as well as on Saudi industrial facilities associated with U.S. firms.
Trump had previously threatened to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran within four hours, while Iran vowed to retaliate against the infrastructure of U.S. allies in the Gulf, warning that their desert cities would become uninhabitable without power or water.
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