ISLAMABAD: The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire and signaled possible talks in Pakistan after both sides acknowledged Islamabad’s mediation efforts to end the war nearly an hour before President Donald Trump’s apocalyptic deadline to obliterate Iranian civilization was set to expire.
The truce follows more than a month of fighting that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 and widened as Tehran retaliated across the region, threatening Gulf stability and global energy supplies after closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for one-fifth of the world’s oil.
President Trump had set a Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the waterway, warning of intensified attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Washington to “allow diplomacy to run its course” and extend the timeline by two weeks in a social media post.
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan ... and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said on Truth Social, calling it a “double sided CEASEFIRE.”
According to AFP, US officials said Israel had also agreed to the ceasefire deal, though there was no immediate confirmation from Israeli authorities.
Trump said the pause came after US forces had “met and exceeded all Military objectives” and described both sides as being “very far along” toward a long-term agreement, signaling Washington views the ceasefire as a consolidation of battlefield gains and a pathway to finalize a broader deal.
Screenshot of US President Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social.
Iran, meanwhile, framed the development as a reciprocal and conditional step, linking any halt in its operations directly to a cessation of attacks against it while emphasizing its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
“On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I express gratitude and appreciation for my dear brothers HE Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif and HE Field Marshal Munir for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
“If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations,” he added.
Araghchi said that “for a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
He said he was announcing the decision on behalf of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council after considering the US request for negotiations based on its 15-point proposal as well as announcement by the US president about acceptance of the general framework of Iran’s 10-point proposal, which Trump had described as “workable” in his social media post.
Screenshot of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s post on X
Prime Minister Sharif later said on X the ceasefire would take effect immediately and invited both sides for negotiations in Islamabad.
“With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere,” he said, adding that delegations had been invited to Islamabad on Friday to pursue a “conclusive agreement.”
Screenshot of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s post on X
Responding to an Arab News query, the White House said discussions over the talks were underway in Washington.
“There are discussions about in person talks, but nothing is final until announced by the President or the White House,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email response.
