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3. Trump Announces Two-Week Pause on Iran Strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week suspension of planned military strikes on Iran on Wednesday, citing direct appeals from the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir. 

“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir… I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said, adding that the move was conditional on Iran agreeing to the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”

He described the pause as a potential “double-sided CEASEFIRE,” signaling a temporary halt in hostilities as negotiations advance. Trump said the United States had already “met and exceeded all military objectives” and was “very far along with a definitive agreement concerning longterm PEACE with Iran.”

According to Trump, Washington has received a “10 point proposal” from Tehran that he believes is “a workable basis” for negotiations, adding that “almost all” major points of contention between the two sides have already been resolved. He expressed confidence that the two-week window would allow the agreement to be “finalized and consummated.”

Trump’s announcement follows a series of escalating rhetoric, which had warned that Iran’s civilian infrastructure would face “complete demolition” if it failed to reopen the strategic waterway. He also cautioned that “a whole civilization will die” if tensions continued to escalate, underscoring the high stakes surrounding the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Following the statement, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be available in coordination with the Iranian armed forces for two weeks.

Iran’s National Security Council announced in a statement that negotiations will be held in Islamabad to finalize the details of ending the war within a maximum period of 15 days. 

Tehran also said its 10-point plan for securing an end to the war with the United States would require Washington to accept its uranium enrichment program and the lifting of all sanctions. The plan, according to Iran’s statement, would require "continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of enrichment, and lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions."