President Donald Trump said early Wednesday that he would suspend U.S. bombing of Iran for two weeks after appeals from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, conditioning the pause on Iran’s “complete, immediate, and safe” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the halt in attacks would amount to a “double sided ceasefire” and asserted that U.S. forces had already “met and exceeded all Military objectives.” He also said Washington had received a 10-point proposal from Iran that he described as a workable basis for negotiations over a longer-term peace agreement.
Sharif said in a post on X that Iran, the United States and their allies had agreed to an immediate ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon, and said he had invited delegations from both sides to Islamabad on Friday, April 10, for further negotiations aimed at reaching a "conclusive agreement to settle all disputes." He praised the parties for what he described as their “wisdom and understanding” and said he hoped the proposed “Islamabad Talks” would help secure lasting peace.
A senior White House official told CNN that Israel has also agreed to the ceasefire and would suspend its bombing campaign while negotiations continue.
The truce would also apply to Lebanon, meaning both Israel and Hezbollah would halt fire once Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, senior security sources familiar with the details told ynet.
It remains unclear whether any agreements were reached on the positioning of Israeli forces already inside Lebanon or whether they would be required to redeploy.
The announcement came after Sharif publicly urged Trump to delay further military action by two weeks to allow diplomacy to continue. Pakistan also called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during that period as a goodwill gesture and urged a temporary ceasefire to create space for talks. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump had been made aware of Pakistan’s proposal and that a response would follow.
Iran was also reviewing the proposal as indirect exchanges of messages between Tehran and Washington had continued despite the escalating crisis. The diplomatic push came as fears mounted of a broader regional war and a deepening threat to global energy supplies through the strategic waterway.
Before announcing the pause, Trump had warned in another message that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” while suggesting the confrontation could still end either in a diplomatic breakthrough or in “complete and total regime change.”
At the same time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps signaled a tougher line, warning that if the United States crossed Tehran’s red lines, Iran’s response could extend beyond the Middle East and target U.S. and allied infrastructure.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a central issue in the standoff. Iran had largely restricted traffic through the passage in recent weeks, prompting U.S. demands that it be reopened. The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
The New York Times reported that Iran submitted a proposal to Washington that included de-escalation terms such as guarantees against further attacks and sanctions relief. In return, Tehran would reopen the strait and impose transit fees on vessels passing through it. The report added that skepticism remained high among U.S. and Israeli officials over the prospects for a deal, and that Israel had prepared additional target lists in case negotiations collapse.