Trump agrees two-week ceasefire with Iran if Strait of Hormuz reopened

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Donald Trump has announced a conditional two-week ceasefire with Iran, hinging on Tehran’s immediate and complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international maritime traffic.

In a statement posted on Truth Social late on Tuesday, Trump said he had reached the decision following discussions with Pakistani leadership, who had appealed for more time to advance diplomatic efforts.

“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.

He added: “This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!”

The announcement marks a sudden de-escalation in a rapidly intensifying conflict that has seen Iran effectively close the strategic waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas transits, since the early stages of the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iranian targets that began in late February 2026.

Only earlier on Tuesday, Trump had issued one of his starkest warnings yet, stating that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran failed to comply with his 8:00 p.m. EDT (00:00 GMT Wednesday) deadline to reopen the strait.

He had repeatedly threatened to target Iranian power plants, bridges, and other critical infrastructure, framing the action as necessary to end what he described as 47 years of Iranian “extortion, corruption, and death.”

The pivot appears to stem from intensive last-minute mediation by Pakistan, a country with longstanding ties to both Washington and Tehran.

Pakistani officials had publicly urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks and simultaneously called on Iran to open the strait as a goodwill gesture to allow diplomacy to continue.

Trump framed the temporary pause as pragmatic, noting that U.S. military objectives had already been “met and exceeded” and that negotiations toward a longer-term peace agreement in the Middle East were progressing.

The proposed ceasefire remains strictly conditional. It requires Iran not only to lift its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz but to do so in a manner that ensures safe and unrestricted passage for all vessels. As of the time of Trump’s announcement, there had been no immediate public confirmation from Iranian officials on whether they would accept the terms.

Iran had previously rejected shorter-term ceasefire proposals, insisting instead on a permanent end to hostilities, the lifting of sanctions, and guarantees regarding reconstruction. Tehran has also continued to warn of escalated responses against U.S. and Israeli interests.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a central flashpoint in the six-week-old conflict. Iran’s closure of the chokepoint has already driven sharp spikes in global energy prices and disrupted supply chains, raising fears of broader economic fallout.