Trump Announces Two-Week Ceasefire with Iran Amid Escalating Tensions

Washington D.C. Finally, restraint has prevailed – at least for the moment.

At 18:32 Washington time, President Donald Trump posted on his social media that the U.S. and Iran are 'very close' to a 'decisive' peace deal and that he has agreed to a two-week ceasefire to advance negotiations.

While not exactly the final hour, with the 20:00 EDT deadline set by Trump for a deal approaching—and the threat of massive U.S. strikes on Iran's energy and transport infrastructure looming—it was nearly the last moment.

All of this depends on Iran ceasing hostile activities and keeping the Strait of Hormuz fully open for commercial shipping. While the Iranian government has indicated it will do so, it has not stopped claiming 'dominance' over the waterway.

This deal helped Trump navigate an extremely difficult turning point: either escalate the war by fulfilling his threat that 'an entire civilization will be destroyed tonight,' or back down and lose credibility. However, the U.S. President has likely only found temporary relief.

Even by Tuesday morning, there was no sign of such progress, when Trump threatened the end of Iranian civilization, warning it could never be reversed.

The U.S. and Iran will now engage in talks over the next two weeks to seek a permanent solution, which provides some time. The journey will certainly be volatile, but in after-hours trading, crude oil prices dropped below $100 per barrel for the first time in many days, and U.S. stock futures rose. There seems to be a sense of hope that the worst has passed.

Even by Tuesday morning, there was no sign of such progress, when Trump threatened the end of Iranian civilization, warning it could never be reversed.

It is uncertain whether the U.S. President's shocking threat pressured Iran into agreeing to a ceasefire it had previously rejected. But what is clear is that Trump's surprising and provocative announcement, coming two days after a similarly crude demand on Truth Social, is vastly different and more alarming than anything any modern U.S. President has said or signaled.

Even if this two-week ceasefire turns into a permanent peace, the Iran war and Trump's recent rhetoric may have fundamentally changed how the rest of the world views the United States.

A nation that once considered itself a beacon of global stability is now shaking the foundations of the international order. The President, who seems to enjoy breaking established norms and traditions in domestic politics, is now doing the same on the world stage.

Although many leaders in Trump's own party supported their President, the near-unanimous support he often receives was not seen this time.

Democrats strongly condemned Trump's remarks on Tuesday, with some even calling for his removal from office. 'It is clear that the President's level is declining and he is unfit to lead,' Congressman Joaquin Castro wrote on X.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that any Republican who does not join the vote to end the Iran war 'will have to bear the full consequences of whatever this may be.'

Although many leaders in Trump's own party supported their President, the near-unanimous support he often receives was not seen this time. Georgia Republican Congressman and senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Austin Scott, strongly criticized Trump's threat to destroy a civilization. He told the BBC, 'The President's statement is counterproductive, and I do not agree with it.'

Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, usually considered a Trump supporter, said it would be a huge mistake if Trump continued his bombing campaign. Texas Congressman Nathaniel Moran wrote on social media that he does not support the idea of destroying an entire civilization.

'That is not who we are,' he wrote, 'and it does not align with the principles that have guided America for so long.'

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has often held views different from the President, was equally clear. She wrote, 'The President's threat cannot be dismissed as merely an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.'

However, the White House may claim that this pressure worked.

Even if Iran keeps the Strait of Hormuz fully open (without conditions for taxes or other payments), its ability to control this key geopolitical chokepoint is now clearer than ever before.

In his Truth Social post announcing the ceasefire, Trump stated that the U.S. had 'accomplished all its military objectives and achieved more success than expected.'

Iran's military capability has been significantly degraded. Although its Islamic fundamentalist regime is still in power, many of its top leaders have been killed in the bombing.

But as it stands, many of the objectives announced by the U.S. remain questionable. The status of Iran's enriched uranium (the basis of its nuclear weapons program) is unknown. Iran's influence over regional proxy groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen remains intact.

And even if Iran keeps the Strait of Hormuz fully open (without conditions for taxes or other payments), its ability to control this key geopolitical chokepoint is now clearer than ever before.

In a statement following Trump's ceasefire message, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Araghchi said that Iran would halt its defensive actions and allow safe passage through Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces. He added that the U.S. had accepted the general framework of Iran's 10-point plan.

That plan includes conditions such as the U.S. withdrawing its military forces from the region, lifting economic sanctions on Iran, paying reparations for war damages, and allowing Iran to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz. It is hard to imagine Trump actually agreeing to any of these terms. This is a signal that the upcoming two weeks of negotiations could be very challenging.

For now, this is a partial political victory for Trump. He made a dramatic threat and achieved the expected result. But this ceasefire is only a short break, not a permanent solution.

A full assessment of the President's words and actions, and the long-term cost of the war as a whole, remains to be seen.