President Trump has announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, calling it a “double-sided” pause to allow negotiations toward a peace deal.
The truce is conditional on Iran immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz to safe international shipping. So far, some vessels have begun moving through,
reportedly with 1,000 ships on both sides of the Persian Gulf, waiting to transit the Strait.
Israel has agreed to abide by the ceasefire regarding Iran. However, Iranian ballistic missiles continued striking central Israel Tuesday night.
The ceasefire remains fragile as talks begin and skeptics question whether the remaining Iranian leadership can be trusted.
President Trump announced the ceasefire early Tuesday evening. In a Truth Social post, he said, “I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double-sided ceasefire! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all military objectives.”
He also made it conditional on opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is calling it a win. On Tuesday night, a newscaster read out a Supreme Council statement, saying the United States agreed to Iran’s ten-point plan, which includes payment to Iran for war damage, withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, and allowing Iran to continue enriching uranium for its nuclear program.
Iranian foreign minister Araghchi stated that if attacks on Iran stop, Iran will stop its “defensive” attacks. He also agreed to allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but only if it’s coordinated with Iran’s military.
Lana Silk, who leads the Christian ministry Transform Iran and was born in Iran herself, says the country’s leaders aren’t trustworthy.
She told CBN News, “The mistake we’ve made is imagining they’re interested in any kind of rational negotiation…the regime will not be intimidated to negotiate or retreat. It’s unthinkable to them…” She warns that every day the regime gets a break is just “another day they use to plan more attacks.”
President Trump is staying upbeat about ending the conflict and rebuilding Iran. In Congress, Democrats aren’t so optimistic.
“We now have set the region on fire. We have lost 13 American service members, hundreds of American service members, wounded, thousands of people, innocent civilians throughout the region killed, prices going up, the American taxpayers paying $2 billion a day and all for nothing,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
More than 70 House Democrats, along with a few senators, are now calling for President Trump to be impeached or removed from office using the 25th Amendment. These demands ramped up on Tuesday, right after Trump took to Truth Social and said, “The entire civilization of Iran is going to die.”
Even Pope Leo had something to say about the president’s remarks. “Attacks on civilian infrastructure is against international law, but that it is also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction the human being is capable of,” the Pope explained.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put out a statement saying Israel is on board with the two-week ceasefire. But the pause in fighting does not cover Israel’s ongoing battle with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Iranian ballistic missiles kept raining down on central Israel Tuesday night. Folks around Tel Aviv woke up to debris, shrapnel, and damaged cars and buildings.
Iran also fired missiles and drones at other Gulf nations last night, and many don’t trust the regime’s intentions.
Wednesday morning on Truth Social, Trump stated that the United States will work together with Iran so “there will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust.'”
This Friday, leaders are meeting in Pakistan to try to hammer out a deal to finally end the fighting.
