Trump says Iran’s new leader asked for ceasefire but would accept if Hormuz is open

By Tolulope Oke

President Donald Trump says Iran’s new leadership has reached out to the United States seeking a ceasefire but warned that any deal will depend on one key condition — the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the disclosure in a social media post on Wednesday, claiming Iran’s leadership had softened its stance.

“Iran’s New Regime President, much less radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!” he wrote.

Although Trump did not explicitly name the official, the reference is believed to point to Masoud Pezeshkian, who assumed office in 2024 after the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

The development comes amid heightened tensions following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike at the onset of the war, a move that has since reshaped Iran’s leadership structure.

His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been named as successor, though Trump has openly dismissed him as “a lightweight” and “unacceptable.”

Despite the ceasefire request, Trump made it clear that the US is not backing down just yet.

“We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear,” he said. “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global oil route, and its disruption has already sent shockwaves through international markets, with crude oil prices hovering around $100 per barrel.

The President is expected to address the nation later Wednesday in a televised broadcast as the conflict enters its second month.