US President Donald Trump on Tuesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, less than two hours before his self-imposed deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Trump’s announcement on social media marked a sudden reversal from earlier in the day, when he warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran did not meet his demands.
“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! 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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who reportedly helped mediate the ceasefire, confirmed that Iranian and US delegations would meet in Islamabad on Friday. Sharif said the agreement also includes a cessation of Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.
Sharif said in a social media post that the United States and Iran, “along with their allies,” had agreed to an immediate cease-fire. He said the cease-fire applies everywhere, “including Lebanon and elsewhere.” There was no immediate Israeli confirmation of a cease-fire.
Trump announced the ceasefire around 6:30 pm ET on Tuesday (5 am IST on Wednesday), but did not specify when it would take effect. The announcement came amid ongoing missile attacks and heightened fears of wider regional conflict.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly ordered all military branches to stop firing, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said around 8:30 pm ET (7 am IST).
During the conflict, Iran has employed a decentralised defence model, allowing regional military commanders to operate with a degree of autonomy. Experts warned that this structure could delay the delivery of orders to individual units.
President Trump emphasised that the deal was contingent on Iran pausing its blockade of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about one-fifth of global oil trade.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Tehran would stop counter-attacks and provide safe passage through the waterway.
Two White House officials confirmed that Israel has also agreed to the two-week ceasefire and to suspend its bombing campaign on Iran. However, Israeli media reported missile attacks continued in the interim, with explosions from intercepted missiles audible in Tel Aviv.
Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, issued near-simultaneous alerts and activated air defences, reflecting heightened regional tension.
The war, now in its sixth week, has claimed more than 5,000 lives across nearly a dozen countries, including over 1,600 civilians in Iran, according to government sources and human rights groups.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz had already caused oil prices to spike, raising fears of a global economic downturn or even recession. The US Energy Information Administration warned that fuel prices could continue to rise for months even after the strait reopened.
Financial markets reacted swiftly to the ceasefire announcement. US stock futures rose within minutes, while US crude futures fell sharply, reaching their lowest levels since March 26.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump issued a stark warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran did not comply. The threat unnerved world leaders, rattled global financial and energy markets, and drew widespread condemnation, including criticism from the United Nations and Pope Leo.
Some international law experts warned that indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.
With the US midterm election campaign ramping up, Trump’s approval ratings hit record lows, leaving the Republican Party at risk of losing narrow majorities in Congress. Polls indicate a majority of Americans oppose the war and are frustrated by rising gasoline prices.
As the clock ticked down to Trump’s 8 pm EDT (0000 GMT) deadline, US and Israeli forces intensified attacks on Iran, hitting railway and road bridges, an airport, and a petrochemical plant. US forces also targeted Kharg Island, home to Iran’s main oil export terminal.
Trump stated that Iran had presented a 10-point proposal, which he described as a “workable basis” for negotiations. He expressed optimism that a final agreement would be “finalized and consummated” during the two-week ceasefire.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The truth is that President Trump and our powerful military got Iran to agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations will continue.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council framed the deal as a victory over the US, claiming Trump had accepted Tehran’s conditions for ending hostilities.
Last month, the FBI issued a March 20 intelligence report warning US state and local law enforcement of an elevated threat from Iran’s government to targets in the US. The “Public Safety Awareness Report,” reviewed by Reuters, described a “persistent threat” to US military and government personnel, Jewish and Israeli institutions, and Iranian dissidents in the US.
Despite these warnings, the report noted no broad threats to the American public.
President Trump had publicly downplayed the risk, telling reporters on March 11, “No, I’m not” concerned about Iranian attacks on US soil. Yet, this week he escalated rhetoric, threatening that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran did not comply, before ultimately agreeing to a two-week delay.
The March 20 report also warned that violent extremists with various ideological backgrounds may view the conflict as a justification for violence. Iranian security services have attempted kidnappings and assassinations in the US, using firearms, stabbings, vehicle ramming, bombings, poisoning, strangling, suffocation, and arson.
The report noted that Tehran prefers to deploy operatives with existing US legal status and monitors social media, livestreams, and map applications to select targets. Hack-based methods such as phishing emails have also been used. Some victims were lured to countries geographically closer to Iran for potential kidnapping and execution.
Law enforcement officials were urged to remain vigilant and share concerning intelligence with federal authorities.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson emphasised, “The entire Trump administration is working together to protect the homeland and the American people – as they always do. Media outlets should not attempt to irresponsibly sow fear by reporting on individual law enforcement memorandums that may lack broader context.”
Ali Karimi Magham, spokesperson for the Iranian mission to the United Nations, declined to comment.
Americans have largely opposed the war, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showing two-thirds favouring a quick end to US involvement. Public perceptions of threats on US soil are particularly sensitive in this context, highlighting the political and social stakes of the ceasefire.
Source: India Today