Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump on April 7 said he has “suspended the bombing of Iran” for two weeks and will begin talks with Tehran based on its 10-point proposal, provided Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said it will halt strikes if US-Israeli attacks stop and promised safe passage through the strait in coordination with its forces during the truce. Pakistan, which mediated between the two sides, said all parties and their allies have agreed to an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, adding that Islamabad will host direct talks on April 10.
Trump’s announcement came just hours before his latest deadline for Iran to reopen the Hormuz Strait — a critical waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman that handled one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas traffic until the US and Israel launched the war on Iran — was set to expire.
On April 5, he had warned that “a civilisation will die tonight” if Iran did not accept his deal.
15-point proposal
The US had earlier sent a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran through Pakistan, which Tehran rejected. Instead, it submitted a 10-point proposal demanding the lifting of all sanctions and continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s state media.
On April 8 Trump said that it was a “big day for World Peace”. He said that Iran wanted this to happen as “they have had enough”, while adding that Tehran can start reconstruction. He also said the US would be helping traffic to clear up in the Strait of Hormuz and that American troops will “hang around” to ensure everything “goes well”. A White House official said Israel also agreed to the two-week pause, though details remain unclear.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement of two-week ceasefire by the US and Iran and urged all the parties involved in the ongoing conflict in West Asia to comply with their obligations under international law.
