Iran and the United States have reached a conditional ceasefire agreement for a period of two weeks, during which maritime traffic will be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

This development comes more than a month after coordinated attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iran, and only hours after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a threat stating that "an entire civilization will be destroyed tonight" if Iran did not reopen the strait.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the negotiations, stated early Wednesday that the ceasefire had entered into effect immediately.

U.S. and Iranian Statements

Trump stated that he agreed to "suspend the bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks" provided that Tehran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for oil shipments and other exports from the Gulf.

In a post on his platform, Truth Social, Trump clarified that he agreed to the temporary ceasefire because "military objectives have already been achieved and exceeded."

This follows his earlier warnings that the United States could eliminate Iran "in one night" and that "an entire civilization will be destroyed tonight and will never return," threats that were condemned by both UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres and Pope Leo XIV.

Later on Wednesday, Trump stated that the United States would work closely with Iran and discuss "tariff exemptions and sanctions relief." He added in another post that "any country supplying Iran with military weapons will immediately be subject to a 50% tariff on all goods sold to the United States, effective immediately, and there will be no exceptions or exemptions."

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. military will ensure Iran adheres to the ceasefire and comes to the negotiating table. He added that forces will remain "in their positions, ready, vigilant, and prepared to resume operations at any moment."

For its part, Iran agreed to allow the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, with the passage to be coordinated by the Iranian military. Iran also issued a 10-point plan, including, among other things: a complete halt to the war in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen; "full commitment" to lifting sanctions on Iran; the release of frozen Iranian funds held by the United States; and "full payment of compensation for reconstruction costs." The plan added that "Iran fully commits to not seeking to possess any nuclear weapons."

The Iranian Supreme National Security Council said in a statement: "Iran's victory on the ground will also be consolidated in political negotiations."

According to Sharif, the ceasefire will also include Lebanon, where Israel is engaged in confrontations with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.

Israel's Position

Sirens sounded in Israel immediately after Trumps announcement, and the Israel Defense Forces said they intercepted missiles launched from Iran. Loud explosions were also heard in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening.

Hours after the ceasefire was confirmed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Israel supports President Trumps decision to suspend strikes on Iran for two weeks provided that Iran opens the straits immediately and ceases all attacks on the United States, Israel, and other countries in the region." The statement added that "the ceasefire does not include Lebanon," where Israeli ground forces are present. It remains unclear to what extent Netanyahu was involved in the decision-making process with Trump.

Next Steps

Pakistan, which is mediating the negotiations, called for delegations to meet in Islamabad on Friday "to negotiate more broadly on a final agreement to settle all disputes."

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt acknowledged that there are ongoing discussions regarding in-person meetings, but stressed that "nothing is final until it is officially announced by the President or the White House."

Regardless of the form of the negotiations, they are expected to be extremely difficult. Some strikes continued after the ceasefire, as Kuwait reported Wednesday morning that Iranian attacks caused damage to power and desalination plants as well as oil facilities. The Kuwaiti military said in a statement on the X platform: "Kuwait's air defenses intercepted an intense wave of hostile Iranian attacks, as 28 drones targeting the State of Kuwait were dealt with."

The United States and Iran appear to have contradictory positions on what the ceasefire includes. It is worth noting that both countries held two rounds of talks during the past year, and both rounds led to an escalation of military tension amid negotiations.

The leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Britain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, and the European Union welcomed the ceasefire and called in a joint statement for a "swift and lasting end" to the war. They said: "We call on all parties to implement the ceasefire, including in Lebanon."