President Donald Trump announced on social media last 7 April that he had accepted a two-week ceasefire with Iran just hours before his threatened deadline for launching crippling attacks on the country’s civilian infrastructure.
"The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East," President Trump wrote. "We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.".
Iran’s foreign minister confirmed in a statement that the Iranians would "cease their defensive operation" and that "for a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible.".
Earlier in the day, President Trump warned Iran that its "whole civilization will die tonight" if leaders in Tehran don’t strike a deal to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday evening — a rhetorical escalation that reflected the president’s eagerness to end a war that has engulfed the Middle East for more than five weeks..
For much of the day, it was unclear whether President Trump — who has backed down from several ultimatums over the last month — would follow through..
"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," the president wrote on the morning of 7th April. "We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.".
President Trump added that he hoped "different, smarter, and less radicalized minds" within the regime would "prevail" and that "maybe something revolutionarily wonderful" would happen instead..
In a statement on social media, the prime minister of Pakistan urged Trump to extend his Tuesday night deadline by another two weeks "to allow diplomacy to run its course." During that time, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen and a ceasefire would be observed. Reports then suggested that Iran might accept the proposal; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that President Trump had “"een made aware of the proposal, and a response will come.".
The president also told Fox News in a phone interview that the U.S. was "in heated negotiations" and called Pakistan’s prime minister a "highly respected man.".
In announcing the ceasefire, Trump said that it was "subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz" for two weeks — a period that would "allow the [current] Agreement to be finalized and consummated.".
Prior to President Trump’s announcement, both the U.S. and Israel had been trying to force Iran’s hand by ramping up their attacks. Early Tuesday, the U.S. launched more than 90 strikes on Kharg Island, Iran’s main hub for oil exports..
In response, the Iranian military vowed that Iran would "deprive the U.S. and its allies of the region’s oil and gas for years" and expand its own missile and drone barrages across the region if Trump devastates Iran’s infrastructure.