President Donald J. Trump announced a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, pausing the 39-day conflict in the Middle East. The announcement came just 90 minutes before the deadline he had set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating strikes.
Under the terms of the deal, Iran will lift its blockade of the critical shipping lane in return for a temporary halt on American military actions against Iranian infrastructure. Pakistan served as the mediator for the agreement.
In his statement, Trump emphasized the conditional nature of the pause: “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.”
Later that day, in a post on Truth Social, Trump declared: “A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will.”
The news triggered an immediate market reaction, with oil prices falling nearly 17 percent and stock indices rising. Iran has accepted the ceasefire but warned it would resume attacks if the United States breached the agreement. Negotiations for a longer-term peace deal are scheduled to continue in Islamabad. Trump expressed optimism that the region could now enter what he termed a “Golden Age of the Middle East.”
