Updated on April 8, 2026.
(LifeSiteNews) — Less than two hours before the deadline that President Donald Trump had imposed before carrying out a bombing attack against Iran’s bridges and power grid, he announced in a Truth Social post on Tuesday evening that he was suspending the raid for two weeks as long as the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.
Trump, who had set an 8 p.m. EDT deadline for a deal to open the strait, said a “double-sided CEASEFIRE” had been agreed up after conversations that included Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The U.S. president said a 10-point proposal was also received from Iran that is a “workable basis on which to negotiate.”
“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,” Trump wrote.
“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran,” he continued in his post, “but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution.”
Earlier in the day, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, had issued a statement saying, “I call on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost.”
The ceasefire announcement followed a period of heightened tension, with Trump having warned earlier the same day that failure to reach an agreement could result in large-scale strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure. “A whole civilization will die tonight,” the U.S. president had warned.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed acceptance of the ceasefire and indicated that formal negotiations with the United States would begin in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 10, 2026. However, neither side specified the exact time at which hostilities would cease, and reports indicated that attacks continued in Israel, Iran, and across the Gulf region into early Wednesday.
Israel expressed “conditional support” for the ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would back the arrangement provided Iran immediately reopens the Strait of Hormuz and halts attacks against the United States, Israel, and other regional actors. At the same time, Israeli authorities clarified that the agreement does not automatically extend to ongoing hostilities with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Despite these unclear points, the Pakistani prime minister stated that “the truce is effective immediately” and that the “allies agree on an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere.”
To further complicate matters, Iran circulated differing versions of a proposed 10-point plan intended as the basis for negotiations. A Persian-language version included a reference to “acceptance of enrichment” regarding Iran’s nuclear program, while English-language versions distributed by Iranian diplomats omitted this phrase. No explanation was provided for the discrepancy.
However, confirming the two‑week ceasefire with the United States, Iran stated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open to maritime traffic throughout this period. “If attacks against Iran are halted, our powerful armed forces will suspend their defensive operations,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared in an official statement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, published on X.
Developing …
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