President Trump announces two-week ceasefire with Iran
President Donald Trump announced that the United States had reached a two-week ceasefire with Iran, just hours before a deadline he imposed.
President Donald Trump has threatened an attack on Iran that would wipe out “an entire civilization.” But as the deadline for the ultimatum approached, he tried a different ploy.
He announced a two-week ceasefire.
President Trump announced late Tuesday, April 7, that he would halt impending attacks on Iran for two weeks to allow time for peace negotiations in the U.S. and Israel’s war with Middle Eastern countries.
“We are doing so because we have already met and exceeded all of our military goals and are very close to reaching a final agreement for long-term peace with Iran and peace in the Middle East,” Trump said in a statement on social media.
President Trump made the announcement just two hours before an 8 p.m. deadline on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for oil and petrochemical shipments. He threatened to attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure unless the strait was reopened, warning that an attack would “death the entire civilization.”
It was not immediately clear how soon the ceasefire would take effect. Israeli media reported that it would begin once Iran reopens the strait. It also reported that Israel expects Iranian attacks to continue for some time.
How did we get here?
The United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, following weeks of military buildup and failed diplomatic efforts to avert war. More than 3,000 people were killed in the conflict.
Pakistan has been acting as a mediator between the United States and Iran for several weeks, presenting a 10-point peace proposal that calls for, among other things, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement that Iran had accepted the terms of a temporary ceasefire “in response to a brotherly request” from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, told USA TODAY in a written statement that the ceasefire was the result of “coordinated leadership” and came from “persistent and patient diplomacy.” But more diplomacy was needed, he said.
Why did the US accept the ceasefire?
The cease-fire announcement ended a whirlwind day that began when President Trump threatened in a social media post to destroy all bridges and power plants in Iran unless it reopened the strait.
President Trump’s rhetoric has rattled world leaders, roiled global financial and energy markets, and drawn widespread condemnation, including from members of Congress, the United Nations Secretary-General and Pope Leo.
Another factor was the fact that the average price of gasoline in the United States exceeded $4 per gallon, a concern for American voters and consumers.
A temporary cease-fire would accomplish one of President Trump’s objectives of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and buy him more time to find a way out of a war that polls show is deeply unpopular with the American public.
If Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz, Israel will also join the ceasefire, a White House official told USA TODAY. Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said in a statement that the country would abide by the ceasefire “if attacks on Iran are stopped.”
“President Trump and our strong military have convinced Iran to agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations continue,” White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Why did Iran accept the temporary ceasefire?
Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security described the deal as a victory over the United States and claimed that President Trump had accepted Iran’s terms for ending hostilities.
The deal also meant Iran could avoid destroying infrastructure and potentially further bloodshed if President Trump carried out his threat of further attacks.
what happens now
Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif announced in a post on X that a delegation from the United States and Iran has been invited to Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Friday, April 10, to continue negotiations on a 10-point peace plan to end the conflict.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security said in a statement that negotiations will begin on Friday, but that Iran does not trust the United States.
The newspaper reported that the council said the temporary ceasefire “does not mean an end to the war” and that the country would accept an end to the war once the details of the plan were “finalized in negotiations”.
Levitt said in a statement that the proposed peace plan “is a viable basis for negotiations and negotiations will continue.”
Contributed by: Reuters
