United States President Donald Trump has suspended a planned military strike against Iran for two weeks after Tehran agreed to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route for oil and gas.
The decision, announced Tuesday evening on Trump’s Truth Social platform, came just hours before a deadline he had earlier set for a potential bombing campaign against Iran.
Trump said the pause followed last-minute diplomatic efforts by Pakistan, whose Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, urged restraint and helped facilitate the temporary agreement between Washington and Tehran.
“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.
The message was posted at about 6:32pm US Eastern Time, less than two hours before the 8pm deadline he had set for the planned strike.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a conditional ceasefire, signalling a possible de-escalation of the conflict.
“If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations,” Araghchi said.
He added that Iran would allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for the two-week period through coordination with its armed forces.
“For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations,” he said.
Araghchi also acknowledged Pakistan’s role in urging a halt to the planned US strikes.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council indicated that the ceasefire could be extended if negotiations advance positively. Diplomatic talks are expected to continue in Islamabad in the coming weeks.
The announcement followed a day of heightened tensions after Trump issued a dramatic warning earlier Tuesday, suggesting catastrophic consequences if Iran failed to meet his demands.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump wrote on social media, describing the looming deadline as potentially “one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world.”
The US president had earlier threatened to target Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, a move that legal experts warned could violate international law.
In his later statement, however, Trump said Iran had presented a “10-point proposal” which Washington believes could serve as a foundation for a broader peace agreement.
“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE,” he said, adding that the United States had already achieved its military objectives and was close to securing a long-term agreement aimed at stabilising the Middle East.
The two-week pause, Trump explained, would allow both sides to finalise negotiations toward a lasting settlement.
The conflict began more than five weeks ago when Israel and the United States launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, arguing that the operation was necessary to curb Tehran’s regional influence and prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
However, critics and international legal experts have described the offensive as an unprovoked attack that may violate international law.
The fighting has already resulted in heavy casualties. Nearly 2,076 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, while 28 others have died in nearby Gulf states.
The United States has recorded 13 military fatalities, while Israel has reported 26 civilian deaths.
A major flashpoint in the conflict has been the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route through which roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass.
Iran restricted traffic through the waterway shortly after the war erupted, triggering spikes in global energy prices and intensifying pressure on the Trump administration at home.
Washington has since urged allies, including NATO members, Japan and South Korea, to support efforts to secure the route, though no major international naval coalition has been formed beyond defensive operations.
Trump said Iran’s proposed 10-point framework includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting sanctions on Tehran, releasing frozen Iranian assets held by the United States, and a commitment by Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons.
The proposal also calls for an end to regional conflicts and compensation for reconstruction in Iran.
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