By Sagar Kulkarni
Washington, Apr 8: The US has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran proposed by Pakistan, President Donald Trump announced 90 minutes before his deadline to wipe out civilisation from the West Asian nation was to end.
Trump made the dramatic announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday evening (US time) even as Democrats called for his removal over unhinged threats to wipe out the Iranian civilisation.
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they 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,” the US President said in a social media post.
“I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said, adding that this will be a double-sided ceasefire.
In Tehran, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war and that it would negotiate with the US in Islamabad beginning Friday.
In Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif extended an invitation to the delegations of the US and Iran to Islamabad on Friday, April 10, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there are discussions about in-person talks, “but nothing is final until announced by the President or the White House”.
In the social media post, Trump said the US has received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he believed was a workable basis on which to negotiate.
He said that the two-week ceasefire period would be used to negotiate a larger agreement to potentially end the war.
“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 said.
“We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate,” he said.
Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the US and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the agreement to be finalised and consummated, the president said.
“On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honour to have this long-term problem close to resolution,” Trump said.
Trump also shared on his Truth Social account Iranian Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi’s statement confirming the ceasefire deal with the US.
“If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations,” the Iranian foreign minister said in the statement, adding that, for the next two weeks, passage through the Strait of Hormuz “will be possible”, in coordination with Iran’s military.
The US launched the war on Iran on February 28 over Tehran’s refusal to give up its stockpile of nuclear fuel.(PTI)
