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The U.S. has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran proposed by Pakistan, President Trump said Tuesday night.
The big picture: The Pakistani proposal, which came hours before Trump’s deadline to launch massive strikes if no deal was reached, involves a pause on Trump’s threat and a commitment from Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks.
- That two-week period would be used to negotiate a larger agreement to potentially end the war.
- There have been discussions through mediators about potential in-person negotiations, likely to be led by Vice President Vance, though nothing has been announced.
- The announcement comes less than 12 hours after Trump threatened to wipe out Iran’s entire “civilization.” More specifically, he threatened bridges, power plants and potentially oil and water infrastructure.
Behind the scenes: Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran picked up momentum over the past 24 hours, as Axios reported, with Pakistan serving as the primary mediator.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and political allies like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had urged Trump to reject any proposal unless Iran made major concessions.
- Members of Trump’s team, including Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff, have advised him to take a deal if they could get one.