US president Donald Trump has announced a two week ceasefire between Iran and the US if shipping is allowed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Just hours after warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran refused to open the Strait of Hormuz, Trump reversed course after a direct appeal from Pakistani negotiators.
According to reports, Trump said that after discussions with the leadership of Pakistan there will be a ceasefire between the US and Iran if Iran agrees to allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
“I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” he posted to his social media site
“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!”
Trump added that he would agree to the two week ceasefire “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz”.
According to the BBC Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran will agree to the end in fighting “if attacks against Iran are halted”.
Iran has put together a 10-point ceasefire plan according to an Iranian state broadcaster.
Trump said Iran’s 10-point proposal offered a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” with most points of past contention already agreed upon.
He warned however, that the plan was not good enough in its current form, and that he would order devastating new airstrikes if no final deal was reached by the new deadline.
Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator, has invited both sides for talks in Islamabad on Friday
Meanwhile British prime minister Keir Starmer is headed to the Gulf to to meet leaders in the region to discuss diplomatic efforts to support the ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran.
The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US decision to suspend attacks on Iran, but said the two-week truce does not apply to Israel’s operations in Lebanon.