Trump announces Iran ceasefire, claims ‘agreement’ is close

Trump said yesterday that his 8pm Tuesday (10am AEST Wednesday) deadline for the end of the shutdown was his latest extension, after pushing back previously threatened limits.

However, this morning, around 8:30am AEST, Trump took to Truth Social to announce a change of plans.

“Based on discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan, and in which they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent to Iran this evening, and provided that the Islamic Republic of Iran agrees to the FULL, IMMEDIATE and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend bombings and attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump wrote.

“This will be a two-sided ceasefire! The reason for this is that we have already achieved and exceeded all military objectives, and we are very far from reaching a final agreement on long-term peace with Iran and PEACE in the Middle East.

“We have received a 10-point proposal from Iran and believe this is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Nearly all the various points from the past have been agreed upon between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the agreement to be finalized and completed.”

He did not elaborate on Iran’s proposal or what form the said resolutions had taken.

Iranian leaders have not yet provided any response or confirmation.

The postponement of the ‘attack’ is the latest in Trump’s series of postponements of deadlines imposed on the Iranian government, and comes after he belligerently threatened to destroy the entire Iranian ‘civilization’ along with the US military.

“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night could be tomorrow night,” Trump said at a press conference yesterday.

He said the US has drawn up a plan to attack critical Iranian infrastructure across the country.

“We have a plan, because of the strength of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated tomorrow night at noon,” he said.

Power stations in the country, he said, would “burn, explode and never be used again”.

He declined to say whether civilian targets were off-limits, dismissing concerns that such military actions could constitute war crimes or violate international law.

However, Trump also said he did not want to unleash the threatened bombing campaign.

“Maybe we can even get involved in rebuilding their country,” he said.

“And you know what, if that’s the case, the last thing we want to do is start with power plants, which are among the most expensive things, and bridges.”

Iran, for its part, previously rejected a proposed 45-day ceasefire and continues to maintain a tight grip on the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

“We will only accept an end to the war with guarantees that we will not be attacked again,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press.

However, indirect negotiations between the US and Iran through Pakistani officials continue, with Trump acknowledging this in his briefing.

Trump has postponed or called off previously threatened ultimatums while citing improvements in talks with opponents, raising the possibility that this could happen again.

While the war remains increasingly unpopular at home, one expert says Trump may be less concerned about its impact on domestic politics, which are more likely to be influenced by the economy.

“The bet here is that he would happily trade some domestic political turmoil for a victory in Iran and a much more positive position for himself in American and world history.”

If so, Trump may be determined to press ahead with further military action, although the ultimate goal is unclear.

The US president has gone back and forth on whether he is seeking (or has achieved) regime change following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whether the US has an interest in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, or whether he wants to liberate the Iranian people.

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