Donald Trump has announced a conditional two-week suspension of US air strikes on Iran, citing fresh diplomatic overtures and mounting pressure from regional leaders to de-escalate the conflict.
Pause tied to Strait of Hormuz re-opening
US President Donald Trump has said he is prepared to pause bombing operations against Iran for a two-week period, outlining the proposal in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump stated that the appeal followed direct requests from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, who urged him to “restrain the destructive force directed at Iran tonight.”
Central to the proposal is the “full, immediate and secure re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” which Trump described as a key condition for halting military action. He indicated that, if this requirement is met, both the bombing campaign and broader hostilities would be suspended for a fortnight.
Ceasefire framed as step towards wider deal
“This will be a bilateral ceasefire,” Trump wrote, adding that US forces had already “achieved and exceeded all military objectives” and that negotiations towards a longer-term peace settlement in Iran and across the Middle East remained ongoing.
The US president also revealed that Washington had received a ten-point proposal from Tehran, which he described as “a realistic basis for negotiations.” According to Trump, most longstanding points of contention between the two sides have already been addressed, and the proposed pause would allow time to finalise an agreement.
He characterised the moment as “an honour” both for himself and for the countries of the Middle East involved in the process.
Iran makes concessions amid reported pressure
Separately, The Times of Israel, citing a senior Israeli official, reported that Iran had agreed to re-open the Strait of Hormuz without securing any of its prior demands. These reportedly included guarantees of a permanent end to the war, reparations, and the lifting of stringent sanctions.
The official claimed that Tehran’s decision reflected the extensive damage to its infrastructure since the start of the conflict, particularly in recent days, and described the move as a significant concession.
According to the same source, the Trump administration has informed Israel that forthcoming negotiations will focus on requiring Iran to remove all nuclear materials from the country, halt uranium enrichment, and eliminate its ballistic missile capabilities.
“These are shared objectives of Israel and the United States,” the official said.
