US President Donald Trump. AFP
After more than a month of blistering attacks by the United States and Israel, Iran said it had agreed to talks with Washington to begin Friday in Pakistan on a path to end the conflict.
Trump said he had spoken to Pakistan's leaders who "requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran."
"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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council also released a statement confirming a two-week ceasefire announced by Trump, saying "the enemy has suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat in its dishonorable, illegal, and criminal war against the Iranian nation."
"Iran has achieved a great victory and forced criminal America to accept its own (Iran’s) 10-point plan," the statement said, adding that "the negotiations, with complete distrust of the American side, will begin on Friday."
Iran demands a binding UN Security Council resolution that will turn all agreements with the United States into binding international law.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed safe passage for two weeks for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway for one-fifth of the world's oil which Tehran sealed off in retaliation for the war launched on Febraury 28.
"If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations," Araghchi said.
Trump said that the United States was "very far along" in negotiating a long-term agreement with Iran, which had submitted a 10-point plan that he said was "workable."
But Iran publicly released points that took maximalist positions including lifting longstanding sanctions, guaranteeing the country's "dominion" over the Strait of Hormuz and removing US forces from the region.
Teheran said the negotiations would be based on their plan only after rejecting all other proposals.
The price of oil quickly fell sharply after Trump's announcement of the ceasefire. Costs at the pump had risen sharply since the war for ordinary Americans, putting heavy political pressure on Trump.
On the other hand, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator between both sides, said that the United States, Iran and their allies had agreed to a ceasefire "everywhere", including Lebanon.
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