US President Donald Trump has announced a two-week suspension of planned military strikes on Iran, linking the move to Iran’s willingness to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and engage in negotiations. The temporary halt in hostilities between Washington and Tehran has offered a narrow window for diplomacy, but there is little indication yet that the conflict has fully subsided.
The decision came after a serious escalation in rhetoric earlier in the day by Trump, threatening to destroy the entire civilization viz-a-viz Iran, followed by last-minute diplomatic intervention by the mediators in conflict. Trump said the US had already achieved its military objectives and suggested that both sides were close to a broader agreement.
