The United States and Iran announced a two‑week cease‑fire on Tuesday, just before the deadline set by President Donald Trump for strikes on Iranian infrastructure expired.
The pause ends, for now, a conflict that began on 28 February after coordinated US‑Israel attacks triggered a broad Iranian retaliation. Pakistani mediation secured the cease‑fire, which also allows a temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas corridor that Iran had blocked.
Trump posted on Truth Social that "a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if Tehran refused to reopen the strait, and later wrote, "We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World," adding hope that "something revolutionarily wonderful can happen."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned of retaliation beyond the region and of depriving the US and allies of oil and gas "for many years" should Washington cross its "red lines." Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran would halt counter‑attacks and guarantee safe passage, coordinated with the Iranian military.
Trump said he received a 10‑point Iranian proposal that could serve as a "workable basis" for negotiations and expected a final deal to be "finalised and consummated" within the two‑week window, contingent on Iran pausing the Hormuz blockade. Iranian state media listed demands such as
