US President Donald Trump has accepted a proposal from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to postpone strikes on Iran’s infrastructure for two weeks, extending an earlier deadline which was due to expire in a few hours.
“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, and 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 has said on Truth Social, stressing that this will be a “double-sided ceasefire”.
He adds that the rationale behind extending his deadline is that the US “already met and exceeded all military objectives” and far along with a definitive agreement for long-term peace in Iran and the Middle East.
“We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate,” Trump says. “Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the agreement to be finalised and consummated.”
He adds, “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.”