Trump agrees to two-week Iran ceasefire, drops threat to destroy 'whole civilisation'
April 8, 2026
Emirates 24/7
Washington: US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure.Trump's announcement on social media represented an abrupt turnaround from earlier in the day, when he issued an extraordinary warning that a whole civilization will die tonight if his demands were not met.Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the ceasefire, said in a post on X that he had invited Iranian and US delegations to meet in Islamabad on Friday.Trump said the last-minute deal was subject to Iran's agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the strait, which typically handles about one-fifth of global oil shipments.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said in a statement that Tehran would stop counter-attacks and provide safe passage through the waterway.This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 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.Iran's Supreme National Security Council portrayed the deal as a victory over the U.S., claiming Trump had accepted Iran's conditions for ending hostilities.In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: This is a victory for the United States that President Trump and our incredible military made happen.The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace, she said in a post on X.The war, now in its sixth week, has claimed more than 5,000 lives in nearly a dozen countries, including more than 1,600 civilians in Iran, according to tallies from government sources and human rights groups.A source briefed on the talks expressed wariness about the two-week ceasefire holding, saying the U.S. side believed Iran might be trying to buy time. It was a trust-building exercise, the source said.
Emirates 24/7
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