Trump announced the agreement on social media Tuesday, hours after mediator Pakistan implored him to back off his deadline to unleash massive devastation on Iran if it didn’t meet his demands. The deal buys time for the two sides to reach a longer agreement to end the six-week conflict, which has killed thousands of people and sparked a global energy crisis.
Trump said he agreed “to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks” as long as Iran agrees to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”
The president’s announcement represents a dramatic climb-down from a bellicose social media post earlier Tuesday, in which he warned “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran didn’t give in. His threats to attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power plants, may have amounted to war crimes if they were carried out.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement that “for a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination” with Iran’s military and that if attacks on its territory are halted, “our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations.”
Trump pledged that the US would assist in restarting the flow of tanker traffic in the strait. He posted on social media that he envisions “big money” will be made and America will be “loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well.”
Israel has also agreed to the ceasefire, according to a White House official. Some Arab states in the Persian Gulf reported continued attacks by Iran in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s announcement, leaving uncertainty over when the truce would take effect.