U.S., Iran accept 2-week ceasefire plan as Tehran agrees to reopen Strait of Hormuz

ruff suspends attacks on persia for 2 weeks | Hanomansing this night

No matter what happens tonight, Trump is bluffing | About That

Trump ratchets up threats against Iran, attacks Kharg Island

Carney responds to Trump’s latest threats to Iran

Trump brushes off war-crime concerns as he threatens escalation against Iran

U.S. Strikes targets on Kharg Island ahead of Trump's deadline for Iran

Trump’s threats won’t frighten Iranian regime, but regular Iranians may rally around flag: expert

Ret. Admiral Andy Loiselle, former U.S. Navy director of air warfare, on Trump's Iran threats

The United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire proposal on Tuesday, less than two hours before a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened or "a whole civilization will die."

Pakistan, acting as an intermediary, proposed that Trump should agree to a two-week extension to the deadline, while Iran should allow marine traffic through the strait for that period. Iran agreed, saying its armed forces would co-ordinate safe passage through the critical pathway for oil and gas. Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have been trading fire with Israel, is also covered by the deal, Pakistan's prime minister said.

The last-minute agreement averted what political and military experts said would have constituted a war crime for the United States.

But it did not bring absolute relief: one professor said there are still long-term deals to be made about the future of a democracy in Iran and the wider world order, considering Trump's explicit threat of such magnitude.

The U.S. Department of War is providing an update at 8 a.m. ET Wednesday.

The United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire proposal on Tuesday, less than two hours before a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened or "a whole civilization will die."

Pakistan, acting as an intermediary, proposed that Trump should agree to a two-week extension to the deadline, while Iran should allow marine traffic through the strait for that period. Iran agreed, saying its armed forces would co-ordinate safe passage through the critical pathway for oil and gas. Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have been trading fire with Israel, is also covered by the deal, Pakistan's prime minister said.

The last-minute agreement averted what political and military experts said would have constituted a war crime for the United States.

But it did not bring absolute relief: one professor said there are still long-term deals to be made about the future of a democracy in Iran and the wider world order, considering Trump's explicit threat of such magnitude.

The U.S. Department of War is providing an update at 8 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Sharif, Pakistan's prime minister, said he was grateful the two countries had accepted the ceasefire proposal.

"Both parties have displayed remarkable wisdom and understanding and have remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability," his statement read.

Sharif also invited American and Iranian leaders to Islamabad on Friday to "further negotiate" a long-term peace solution.

In his post announcing he's holding off on his threats to ramp up attacks on Iran, Trump credits a 10-point proposal put forward by the Islamic regime. 

Trump called the plan "a workable basis on which to negotiate." 

On Monday, when the U.S. Had already received Tehran's proposal, Trump called it "a significant step" but "not good enough." 

The plan includes compensation to Iran for war damage, ​lifting all ​sanctions against the country, the release ​of ⁠all ⁠frozen ‌Iranian ​assets, the ⁠withdrawal ⁠of ​U.S. ​combat ⁠forces from all ‌bases in the region and an end to the war, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media. 

The proposal also includes allowing "controlled transit" ​through the Strait of ​Hormuz, ⁠co-ordinated ⁠with ‌the Iranian armed ⁠forces, Reuters said. Iran would charge a fee of $2 million per ship for passage, according to the New York Times. 

Iran's foreign minister issued his own statement confirming the country had accepted the ceasefire proposal. Abbas Araghchi said Iran will also stop its defensive operations so long as Israel and the U.S. Stop their attacks. 

The minister said Iran's armed forces will facilitate safe passage through the strait for the two-week period.

Iran's National Security Council said it accepted the plan with the approval of its new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Reuters

Two White House officials confirmed to Reuters that Israel has also agreed to the two-week ceasefire and to suspend its bombing campaign on Iran. 

A few minutes after Trump's announcement, the Israeli military said it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel.

Trump and Iran's leaders may not agree on much, but the importance of the Strait of Hormuz is key for both. For Iran, it is leverage. The transit of oil through the strait has nearly ground to a halt, increasing the price of Brent crude by 50 per cent since the war began, with analysts warning it is on track to get higher yet.

Trump needs to get ships moving through the strategic chokepoint to begin the process of lowering the price of gasoline in the U.S. It will still take time.

The website marinetraffic.com shows the congregation of around 1,500 ships, many of them tankers, off the coasts of Oman and the U.A.E., waiting for the strait to be safe again.

If the ceasefire is working, we will see the waterway busy once more.

Trump's announcement marks the fourth time he has extended a deadline for Iran to either open the Strait of Hormuz or face consequences. 

He first issued such an ultimatum on March 21, giving Iran 48 hours to comply or see its power plants obliterated. 

On March 23, just hours before the deadline, he gave Iran five more days, claiming negotiations were making good progress.

On March 26, he said the U.S. Would hold off on its threat for another 10 days.  

Last weekend, with that 10-day timeline set to expire on Monday, Trump extended it to Tuesday without stating a clear reason. 

It's not yet clear whether Iran has agreed to allow traffic through the strait, which Trump said is a condition for the U.S. Agreeing to the two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.

The New York Times reported that Iran had agreed, citing three Iranian officials.  

What does a temporary ceasefire mean for the Iran war?

Hours after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that 'a whole civilization will die tonight' if Iran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the two countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire. Power & Politics hears from former UN prosecutor Payam Akhavan.

Payam Akhavan, human rights chair at the University of Toronto's Massey College, said a ceasefire is "certainly a good thing" that will bring deep relief to hundreds of thousands of people, though he said he is still concerned about Iran's long-term future and the state of the world order beyond the next 14 days.

"One of the problems here is the people of Iran have been the victims of massacres by a ruthless regime and bombardment by foreign powers.

"There are long-term problems which have to be addressed, namely the democratic transformation of Iran by the Iranian people. And then there's the wider question of what sort of leadership we have at a time when the international rule of law has become imperilled," he continued. 

"This sort of gangster gunboat diplomacy is not sustainable in the long run."

Trump's post goes on to say that his reason for agreeing to the pause is because the U.S. Has "already met and exceeded" all of its military objectives and is "very far along" with an agreement for long-term peace with Iran. 

He said the U.S. "received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate." 

In a social media post, Trump announced he's holding off on his threat to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges and accepting the terms of an extension proposed by Pakistan: a two-week extension on his deadline in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz during that period.

"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," the president posted at 6:32 p.m. ET, just 90 minutes before his deadline today was set to expire.

---

---