For most of Tuesday, Iran was hours away from being erased. Then a Pakistani general got involved.
Just before his 8 p.m. deadline to launch massive strikes, Trump agreed to a two-week pause proposed by Pakistan, contingent on Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz.
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump wrote. “This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE.”
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Pakistan had been acting as a mediator between Washington and Tehran throughout the conflict. Sharif had publicly urged all parties to observe a two-week pause to allow diplomacy to achieve a conclusive end to the war. Trump listened, which was itself something of a surprise.
Trump said the U.S. had received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he called a workable basis for negotiations. He said nearly all points of contention had been agreed to and that Washington’s military objectives had been achieved. He has said that last part before. Several times, actually.
Behind the scenes, Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff had been pushing Trump to take a deal if one was available. Netanyahu, along with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, had urged him to reject any proposal unless Iran made major concessions. Trump sided with Vance and Witkoff, which is probably the most surprising part of the whole story.
The two weeks will be used to negotiate a larger agreement to end the war entirely. There have been early discussions about potential in-person talks, likely led by Vance, though nothing has been confirmed. Given how Tuesday went, confirmed plans feel optimistic.
The economic pressure to get a deal done was real. Gas prices were expected to peak at $4.30 a gallon this month, with Gulf states collectively shutting in an estimated 9.1 million barrels per day of crude oil production. The Energy Information Administration warned that output would not return close to pre-conflict levels until late 2026.
The Iran war began February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. bases.
Thousands have been killed. Millions displaced. Oil crossed $100 a barrel and stayed there. And for weeks, Trump moved his own deadline around like a chess piece, each extension coming with a fresh round of apocalyptic social media posts.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
