The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week long ceasefire that will provide the time to negotiate a permanent agreement to end the Iran War. Israel has agreed to observe the two-week ceasefire as well. One condition of the ceasefire is that Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic immediately.
President Trump had given Iran an ultimatum – Iran would need to agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all vessel traffic. The ultimatum was to expire on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. (Washington time). If Iran did not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz then a massive bombing campaign was going to take place, striking civilian infrastructure across Iran. Principal targets would be bridges and power stations.
The ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday evening just an hour before the time was to expire on Iran. President Trump announced the ceasefire by posting the announcement on a White House memo. (see below)
Click here for a larger view of the White House Memorandum about the Iran War ceasefire.
Pakistan was a key facilitator of the ceasefire agreement. Trump’s decision was based on conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. Turkey and Egypt were also involved in the agreement process. This initial two-week ceasefire period, which could be phased as an operational pause, is intended to support follow-on negotiations.
President Trump said that the United States had already met most of the U.S. military objectives. Iran’s air force and navy has been destroyed. Many military installations have been destroyed or damaged. The amount of damage to the missile and drone capability of Iran is a big question.
Negotiations will begin in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11. President Trump said that Iran’s 10-point counter proposal sent to the United States on April 5 was a workable basis to negotiate with. Some of the points are listed below:
- A permanent and durable end to the war.
- Guarantees that the United States or Israel will not attack Iran again.
- Lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions on Iran.
- Termination of all UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolutions against Iran. Acceptance of Iran’s civilian nuclear enrichment program.
- Payment of reparations to Iran for reconstruction.
- Withdrawal of all US forces from the Gulf region.
- Cessation of war on all the fronts.
- Stoppage of Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- Iran to charge vessels transiting the Strait up to $2 million U.S. dollars.
- Broader regional de-escalation framework.
On Tuesday evening, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X (7 April 2026):
“The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace. Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace.”
References:
April 7, 2026, “U.S. and Iran Agree to 2-Week Ceasefire”, Axios.
April 7, 2026, “Trump pauses Iran strikes for two weeks to negotiate 10-point peace deal”, Fox News.
April 7, 2026, “Trump Agrees to Ceasefire With Iran”, The War Zone.
April 7, 2026, “Trump agrees to two-week suspension of threatened attacks on Iran”, Washington Times.
