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Latest: U.S. and Iran Agree to 2-Week Cease-Fire
APRIL 7, 2026 | VIEW IN BROWSER
Demonstrators protest against U.S. military action in Iran near the White House in Washington on April 7. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
By John Haltiwanger
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly announced a two-week cease-fire with Iran—on the condition that it reopen the Strait of Hormuz—just hours after raising alarm bells worldwide with a threat to wipe out Iran’s civilization. Though Iran has agreed to the truce, the warring parties offered conflicting accounts on the terms. Israel is also reportedly part of the cease-fire agreement and will halt bombing targets in Iran as negotiations take place over the next 14 days, although Israel has yet to officially confirm that.
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and 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. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump also said a 10-point proposal from Iran to end the war with the United States provides a “workable basis on which to negotiate.”
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U.S. and Iran Agree to 2-Week Cease-Fire
The announcement came less than two hours before Trump’s deadline was set to expire.
By John Haltiwanger, a staff writer at Foreign Policy.
The national flags of the United States and Iran are seen in front of the White House during a protest over U.S. military actions against Iran.
Demonstrators protest against U.S. military action in Iran near the White House in Washington on April 7. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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John Haltiwanger
April 7, 2026, 8:06 PM
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly announced a two-week cease-fire with Iran—on the condition that it reopen the Strait of Hormuz—just hours after raising alarm bells worldwide with a threat to wipe out Iran’s civilization. Though Iran has agreed to the truce, the warring parties offered conflicting accounts on the terms. Israel is also reportedly part of the cease-fire agreement and will halt bombing targets in Iran as negotiations take place over the next 14 days, although Israel has yet to officially confirm that. The Israeli Consulate in New York City did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and 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. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump also said a 10-point proposal from Iran to end the war with the United States provides a “workable basis on which to negotiate.”
“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump added.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it had agreed to the cease-fire, which it framed as a “victory,” while signaling that it would maintain control over the strait. Notably, Iran also claimed that Trump had agreed to its 10-point plan, diverging from his assertion that aspects would still be finalized.
The details on exactly how the strait of Hormuz will be reopened remain hazy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted a statement to X that said passage through the strait will “be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Trump’s surprise cease-fire announcement was seemingly the result of frantic diplomacy led by Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a post on X wrote, “With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
“I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.”
Trump’s Truth Social post on the truce was published less than two hours before the 8 p.m. EDT deadline that he’d set for Iran to agree to a cease-fire deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas usually travels, or else face U.S. attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.
Iran has held a virtual chokehold over the strait since the war began—wreaking havoc on global energy markets—though it recently began allowing some vessels from certain nations to pass through. The rising gas prices brought on by Iran’s de facto blockade of the strait have placed serious economic and political pressure on Trump.
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Trump had warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not reach a deal by his deadline, escalating on a previous threat to destroy all of Iran’s bridges and power plants. Critics of Trump, including congressional Democrats, accused him of threatening to commit genocide and called for the president to be removed from office.
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While Trump on Tuesday described Iran’s 10-point plan as a “workable” starting point, it does not address key issues that the United States launched the war over in the first place—including eliminating the country’s nuclear program.
The 10-point plan reportedly calls on the United States to withdraw combat forces from the region, lift all sanctions against Iran, permit the country to enrich uranium, compensate it for war damages, and allow it to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal also calls for a cease-fire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting against the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah. It seems unlikely that the United States would agree to such demands, raising questions as to why Trump framed the proposal in such positive terms.
In response to a request for comment, the White House provided this statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt: “President Trump’s words speak for themselves: this is a workable basis to negotiate, and those negotiations will continue. The truth is that President Trump and our powerful military got Iran to agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations will continue.”
This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage. Read more here.
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John Haltiwanger
John Haltiwanger is a staff writer at Foreign Policy. Bluesky: @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social X: @jchaltiwanger
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