Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war. Its statement said it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday.
“It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” the statement said. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said he’s pulling back on his threats to widen attacks on Iran. The president said that includes an array of bridges, power plants and other civilian targets — subject to Iran being ready for a two-week ceasefire and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme earlier Tuesday when he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran fails to make a deal that includes reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The Republican president’s earlier comments were swiftly met with condemnation from Democrats, some “Make America Great Again” supporters who have since broken with Trump, and the first American pope.
Here is the latest:
White House doesn’t immediately clarify what Trump meant by ‘workable’ Iranian plan
The White House on Tuesday night did not answer messages on why the president described Iran’s 10-point peace plan as “workable.”
Among the points communicated by Tehran were an easing of U.S. sanctions on Iran and “the withdrawal of United States combat forces from all bases and points of deployment within the region.”
In his social media post announcing a postponement of his threatened bombing campaign, Trump wrote: “We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
The White House did not immediately clarify what Trump meant or provide details on what a “basis” for future negotiations might entail.
Missile alerts sound despite Iran and US saying they’ve reached a ceasefire
Israel and the United Arab Emirates both sounded missile alerts early Wednesday, despite Iran and the United States saying they had reached a two-week ceasefire in the war.
It wasn’t immediately clear what was being targeted in the two countries, which bore the brunt of the missile and drone fire during the war.
Throughout the war, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has called the shots in all decisions. Individual commanders have made decisions on what to strike and when, with the nation’s political leadership sidelined.
Whether they agreed to stop shooting with the declared ceasefire and negotiations being planned in Islamabad remained in question.
However, many Mideast wars see combatants launch last-minute attacks to be able to claim victory with their populations.
Also not clear: What Iran means in referencing ‘withdrawal’ of US combat forces
In question is another point messaged by the Iranians— “the withdrawal of United States combat forces from all bases and points of deployment within the region.”
The U.S. has maintained a network of military bases through the Persian Gulf for decades after the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq.
The bases have served as the region’s chief security guarantor and provided protection for the energy-rich Gulf Arab states.
Iran did not define, however, what it meant by “combat forces,” potentially giving wiggle room for those bases to remain.
But any step-down in troop levels in the region likely would anger the Gulf Arab states that have suffered through weeks of war.
It isn’t clear if Iran will loosen its chokehold on the waterway that’s crucial to global energy supplies
Iran’s foreign minister says that ships would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, over the next two weeks under coordination from Iran’s military.
About a fifth of the world’s oil transits the strait in peacetime.
Araghchi wrote in a statement that: “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Before the war, there were no “technical limitations.” Over 100 ships a day passed through the water in Iranian and Omani territorial waters in a decades-old traffic system.
But any step-down in troop levels in the region likely would anger the Gulf Arab states that have suffered through weeks of war.
Iran’s explanation of its 10-point plan says Strait of Hormuz would be subject to ‘regulated passage’
Iran’s explanation of the 10-point plan included its claim that the Strait of Hormuz would be subject to “regulated passage … under the coordination of the Armed Forces of Iran.”
It added that it would be “thereby conferring upon Iran a unique economic and geopolitical standing.” It would also receive full sanctions relief.
These terms would represent an extraordinary step down by the U.S. after 47 years of hostilities with Iran, starting from the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran says its acceptance of a ceasefire doesn’t mean an end to the war
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Wednesday it had accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war.
Its statement said it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday.
“It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” the statement said. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.”
Trump says talks with Pakistani officials helped lead to his decision to delay bombing campaign
In his social media post, Trump said he decided to delay an expansion of U.S. strikes “based on conversations” with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief.
Sharif, in a post on the social platform X earlier Tuesday, urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance. Pakistan has been leading negotiations.
Sharif used the same post to ask Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks.
Trump’s second term has largely been defined by his eagerness to make intimidating threats
And then to retreat if a backlash ensues — a phenomenon his critics have derided as “Trump Always Chickens Out,” or TACO.
The president backed off on many of the sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs he first announced in April 2025 after they caused the financial markets to go haywire.
He also largely dropped threats to impose high levies on many imported products from China, Mexico, the European Union and Canada — among other trade partners.
Perhaps the most spectacular example came during a January meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump insisted that he wanted the U.S. to get Greenland “including right, title and ownership,” only to switch course and abandon his threat to impose widespread tariffs on Europe to press his case.
Trump says Iran has proposed a ‘workable’ 10-point peace plan that could help end war
The president added in his social media post that Iran has presented “a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
“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 finalized and consummated,” Trump said in the post.
Trump says he’s pulling back on his threats to widen attacks
The president says that includes an array of bridges, power plants and other civilian targets — subject to Iran being ready for a two-week ceasefire and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on his social media site on Tuesday evening, Trump said Iran could agree “to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz” and said that he’d then “suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.”
Since the war began in February, Trump has set a series of deadlines threatening escalation of the conflict, only to back off just before they expire.
Iran threatens to cut US and its allies off from the region’s oil and gas ‘for years’
Iran’s joint military command spokesperson made the warning in a statement responding to U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iran will intensify its attacks on military, security, and economic infrastructure in Israel and on “centers related to” the U.S. in the region.
Zolfaghari said Iran’s continued attacks on the infrastructure of the U.S. and its allies aim to deprive them of the region’s oil and gas supplies “for many years” and “force them to leave” the Middle East.
White House insists that Trump stands with innocent civilians in Iran
That’s according to a statement by spokeswoman Anna Kelly in response to criticism the president’s comments have received.
“As President Trump has said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing,” the statement says.
“The President will always stand with innocent civilians while annihilating the terrorists responsible for threatening our country and the entire world with a nuclear weapon. Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.”
4 wounded in Qatar after interception of Iranian missiles
Qatar’s Interior Ministry said late Tuesday that falling debris hit a residence in the Muraikh area, moderately wounding four people, including a child, as the country responds to Iranian attacks.
Trump uses the language of annihilation to threaten Iran
The president who yearned for a Nobel Peace Prize and once reveled in the appearance of solving conflicts has turned to the language of annihilation as he struggles to find a resolution to his war of choice in Iran.
Donald Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme Tuesday as he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran fails to make a deal that includes reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.
His comments were swiftly met with condemnation from Democrats, some “Make America Great Again” supporters who have since broken with Trump, and the first American pope. Some fellow Republicans suggested his comments were a negotiating tactic.
Pakistan’s foreign minister briefs Saudi, Egyptian, Turkish counterparts on peace efforts
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar late Tuesday briefed his Saudi, Egyptian and Turkish counterparts on Islamabad’s efforts to promote dialogue and diplomatic engagement in pursuit of peace and stability in the region.
The Foreign Ministry says Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan discussed the regional situation, and that Dar also spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Iranians fear power outages as Trump’s deadline nears
Three times a week, Asghar Hashemi undergoes dialysis treatment at a hospital in northern Tehran. He fears that if power stations are knocked out, as Trump has threatened, his life will be in danger.
Tehran residents rushed Tuesday to stock up on bottled water and charge cellphones, flashlights and portable power banks as the hours ticked down to Trump’s latest ultimatum.
“I am worried, but I am more worried about my fellow citizens,” Hashemi said, lying on his bed at Tajrish Martyrs Hospital for treatment. “Whatever happens, we will stand until the end.”
Alaska Republican senator says Trump’s Iran rhetoric ‘endangers’ Americans
Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday said President Trump’s threat “that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.”
She said on social media that the rhetoric is an “affront” to ideas the U.S. has long sought to uphold and promote around the world.
“It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home,” she said.
Murkowski, a centrist who at times has been critical of Trump, called on all those involved in the conflict — including Trump and Iran’s leaders — to “de-escalate their unprecedented saber-rattling before it is too late.”
US stocks swing from losses to a tiny gain as uncertainty builds ahead of Trump’s deadline for Iran
The S&P 500 fell as much as 1.2% after Trump’s threat, but stocks rallied at the end of trading after Pakistan’s prime minister urged Trump to extend his deadline for another two weeks and asked Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz during that time.
The S&P 500 erased all its losses and ended with a modest 0.1% gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 85 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.1%.
During just the first hour of Tuesday’s trading, the Dow careened between a gain of 74 points and a loss of 425.
Oil prices were likewise shaky. The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude to be delivered in May briefly climbed above $117 before settling at $112.95, up 0.5%.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, eased by 0.5% to $109.27. It’s still well above its roughly $70 level from before the war began in late February.
Jimmy Carter’s grandson says Trump’s Iran threat is dangerous and immoral
Jason Carter, president of the Carter Center’s governing board and former President Carter’s grandson, called Trump’s blanket threat against Iranian citizens and culture an “un-American” and “un-Christian” outrage.
“It violates every conceivable moral code,” Carter said in a video statement, and if carried out would violate U.S. and international law and all “accepted principles of human rights.”
The United States, Carter said, “must be better than Donald Trump’s unbridled and dangerous rhetoric.”
Jimmy Carter, who died in 2024, was in office during the 1979 Iranian Revolution that ushered in the ayatollah’s government.
“The Islamist government of Iran has been our enemy, including an enemy of my family,” Jason Carter said, “but the people of Iran have never been our enemy.”
The younger Carter said his grandfather would urge “Democrats, Republicans and especially Christians who worship the prince of peace to stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough.’”
Federal authorities say pro-Iran hackers breached US infrastructure
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the National Security Agency together issued the warning on Tuesday, reporting that hackers allied with Iran exploited vulnerabilities in internet-connected devices used to control machinery used in several important sectors.
They offered no details about the attacks but said they were intended to disrupt operations and cause financial harm. The bulletin urged any U.S. entity that uses the controllers to check their cyber defenses.
A number of cyberattacks targeting U.S. and Israeli entities have been attributed to pro-Iran hackers since U.S.-Israeli strikes began. Authorities say critical infrastructure like ports and water plants could be targeted by Iranian hackers or independent groups working on their behalf.
Trump says it’s ‘totally illegal’ for Iran to have young people surround power plants as human shields
The U.S. president, threatening to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure and bridges, said the country can’t use its citizens as human shields.
“Totally illegal,” Trump said in a phone call with NBC News. “They’re not allowed to do that.”
Trump was also asked about his reasons for saying on social media that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” and Trump answered by saying: “You’ll have to figure that out.
White House is aware of a request by Pakistan’s prime minister for a 2-week delay on Trump’s threats to Iran
Trump has yet to weigh in on the request for further negotiations with Iran made over social media by Pakistan’s prime minister, but he plans to address the call to push back his deadline for attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure and bridges by two weeks.
“The President has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement.
Pakistan urges Trump to extend deadline and seeks a 2-week pause in Mideast conflict
In a post on the social platform X, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, “diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future.”
“To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks.” he said. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the post.
“Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open the Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture,” he added. “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region.”
A Jewish leader in the US decries Trump’s threat to destroy ‘a whole civilization’
“We know what it means when leaders call for communities and populations to be wiped out,” Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a statement. “Any suggestion that this advances Jewish or Israeli safety is simply an exploitation of our community to advance horrific war crimes and the President’s broader extreme anti-democratic agenda.”
Spitalnick’s council describes itself as a “mainstream Jewish organization.” It believes in the need for Israel to serve as a Jewish homeland, but often criticizes policies of the current Israeli government.
She urged people to recognize “multiple truths:” that Iran’s government is repressive and dangerous, and the Trump administration is increasingly flouting its constitutional and humanitarian obligations.
Fewer Americans have confidence in Trump on Iran decisions than last year, Pew poll finds
Americans are less confident in the president’s decision-making on Iran than they were last year, according to a new Pew Research Center poll, with drops among Republicans and Democrats.
About one-third of U.S. adults are “very” or “somewhat” confident Trump can make good decisions when it comes to U.S. policy toward Iran, according to the Pew poll conducted in late March. That’s down from 44% in August. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans have high confidence, down from 78% last year.
The poll also found about 7 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about higher gas and fuel prices as a result of U.S. military action, with most Republicans and Democrats being worried. Majorities of Americans also worry about U.S. ground troops being sent into Iran, possible military casualties and potential terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
Pope sharply criticizes Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization
“Today, as we all know, there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,” Pope Leo XIV said, adding that any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.
In some of his strongest comments yet against the war, Leo urged Americans and others of goodwill to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace.
The remarks to reporters Tuesday came as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, just hours before Trump’s deadline for Iran to capitulate and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
UN chief answers Trump: No military objective justifies destruction of a society’s infrastructure
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply troubled” by the statement suggesting that an entire people or civilization may bear “the consequences of political and military decisions,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Guterres didn’t name Trump but was clearly referring to the American leader’s warning to Iran earlier Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t opened.
“There is no military objective that justifies the wholesale destruction of a society’s infrastructure or the deliberate infliction of suffering on civilian populations,” Guterres’ spokesman said.
The secretary-general reiterates that leaders can still choose “dialogue over destruction” and the choice for talks must be made now, Dujarric said.
Guterres calls for stepped-up diplomacy to find a path to peace and appeals for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesman said.