Trump announces US pause on Iran strikes for two weeks
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Wed, 04/08/2026 - 02:00
Says “double-sided ceasefire” tied to Hormuz reopening as US-Iran talks set to begin in Islamabad
US President Donald Trump attends a news conference at the White House on 6 April 2026 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik / GETTY via AFP
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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he has agreed “to suspend the bombing" and the war on Iran for a period of two weeks, calling it a double-sided "ceasefire” tied to Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the decision followed talks with Pakistani leaders and cited a 10-point Iranian proposal as “a workable basis” for negotiations, adding the pause would allow time to finalise an agreement.
"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, 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. This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!" Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump said that almost all of the points of contention between the United States and Iran have been agreed to.
"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. We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate," Trump added.
Iran’s Supreme Security Council said talks with the United States will begin Friday in Islamabad after Tehran submitted its proposal via Pakistan.
It added that the negotiations, expected to last up to 15 days, will address issues including Hormuz transit, sanctions relief and the withdrawal of US forces from regional bases.
Iran’s top security body said the country had achieved a “historic” victory in the war and forced the United States to accept a 10-point proposal, adding that the talks do not signal the end of the war.
The council added that the plan includes guarantees of non-aggression, continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, and sanctions relief.
The statement also said Iran and allied groups had inflicted major losses on their adversaries and warned that unity at home remains essential as details of any agreement are finalised.
Plea from Pakistan
Pakistan had issued a last-minute plea for a two-week extension for negotiations to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, before the end of President Donald Trump’s 8 pm EST deadline to destroy the country’s “whole civilization”.
"To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X on Tuesday, as he requested that Iran allow the Strait of Hormuz to reopen to all traffic during that time.
"We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region," Sharif wrote.
"The President has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told AFP in a statement when asked about Pakistan's request.
Trump unleashed an expletive-ridden tirade on Easter Sunday, threatening to destroy Iran unless it ceded control of the Strait of Hormuz - a critical waterway through which 20 percent of global energy flows.
“Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell…Praise be to Allah,” Trump wrote on Sunday on social media.
He followed up his threat on Tuesday by warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran met his demands.
Trump threatened to conduct a wide-scale bombing campaign against Iranian energy infrastructure and bridges, civilian targets that would be considered a war crime.
By late Tuesday, several reports emerged from Iranian media of Israel's targeting of steel and petrochemical plants.
Several conflicting reports also appeared on Tuesday, casting doubt on the negotiations Pakistan has been hosting.
Russia and China had vetoed a UN Security Council resolution put forward by Bahrain to pursue military action to end Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The stock market closed slightly higher on news of Pakistan's request. The Dow industrials ended the day down 0.2 percent while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1 percent.
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