The Latest: Iran says it has accepted a 2-week ceasefire in the war

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:

Israel says ceasefire with Iran doesn’t include war in Lebanon against Hezbollah

In a statement Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that it doesn’t include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

It said the ceasefire is subject to Iran immediately opening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping all attacks on the U.S., Israel and countries in the region.

The statement said Israel also supports U.S. efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat.

Governments in Asia and the Pacific welcome ceasefire

Australia said it “welcomes the agreement by the United States, Israel and Iran to a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.”

“The Australian government has been calling for de-escalation and an end to the conflict for some time now,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Wednesday in a statement.

They also criticized “Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with its attacks on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities.”

In Japan Minoru Kihara, chief cabinet secretary, said his nation “welcomes the announcement as a positive development. We hope they reach an agreement.”

Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, said on X, that his nation welcomed the effort to end the war.

“While this is encouraging news, there remains significant important work to be done in the coming days to secure a lasting ceasefire,” he said.

Australia PM says Trump’s threat to Iranian civilization was not appropriate

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Trump’s threat to the Iranian population was not appropriate.

Albanese referred to Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to make a peace deal that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the President of the United States. And I think it will cause some concern,” Albanese told Sky News television on Wednesday.

“We’ve said very clearly that the conduct of any conflict must be within international law and that provides for making sure that civilians — who aren’t parties to the conflict — are given every protection possible,” Albanese added.

Albanese described the agreement reached by the United States, Israel and Iran to a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a resolution to the conflict as “positive news.”

Pro-government demonstrators take to the streets in Tehran

Pro-government demonstrators in the streets of Iran’s capital Wednesday morning after the ceasefire was announced screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!”

Organizers tried at one point to calm demonstrators, but they continued the chants.

They also burned American and Israeli flags in the street.

It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptic battle with the U.S.

Iran includes ‘acceptance of enrichment’ in Farsi version of its ceasefire plan

Iran in the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.

It wasn’t immediately clear why that term was missing.

However, Trump had said ending Iran’s nuclear program entirely was a key point of the war.

Trump after Iran issued its 10-point plan had described it as fraudulent, without elaborating.

Israel is still attacking Iran, military official says

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said early Wednesday that Israel was still attacking Iran.

Moments earlier the White House said Israel had agreed to the terms of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreement.

Iran also kept up fire on Israel.

— Sam Mednick

Israeli strike kills at least eight people in southern Lebanese coastal city

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said another 22 people were wounded in the strike on Sidon.

The strike came without warning, and the Israeli military did not immediately specify who it was targeting.

At least 1,530 people have been killed in the latest war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.

Pakistan invites Iran and the US to talks in Islamabad on Friday

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he is inviting Iran and the United States to meet in Islamabad and have further discussions.

In a post on X, Sharif said that both parties have agreed on the ceasefire.

“I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries,” he said. “And invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.”

There has been no public response from the U.S. or Iran to the invitation.

US confirms release of journalist kidnapped by Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a statement that American journalist Shelley Kittleson, who was kidnapped last week in Iraq, has been released.

Kittleson was abducted by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah from a street corner in Baghdad on March 31.

Rubio said in a statement posted on X, “We are relieved that this American is now freed and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq.”

He thanked Iraqi authorities, as well as the FBI and U.S. defense department and other U.S. agencies for their work toward securing Kittleson’s release.

Vance was involved in talks as deadline drew closer

As the clock inched closer to Trump’s proposed 8 p.m. deadline with no resolution in sight, U.S. Vice President JD Vance got roped into the conversation late Tuesday, according to an official from one of the mediating countries who was briefed on the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive diplomatic discussions.

Vance’s office did not immediately have a comment.

Vance is currently traveling in Hungary.

— Farnoush Amiri and Michelle L. Price

Neither Iran nor the US has offered any time for the ceasefire to begin

But a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, said American forces had halted offensive operations.

Iran continued to fire at Gulf Arab states and Israel, despite Pakistan saying the ceasefire had taken hold immediately.

—- Jon Gambrell

Chinese officials encouraged Iran to find path to ceasefire with US, AP sources say

China, which is Tehran’s biggest trade partner, spoke with the Iranians to get them on board, according to two officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Chinese officials were in touch with Iranian officials to encourage Tehran to find a path to a ceasefire deal as the negotiations were evolving, the officials said.

Beijing primarily had been working with intermediaries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as it tried to use its influence, said one of the officials, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the diplomatic matter.

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier Tuesday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said, “All parties need to demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place.” She said China was “deeply concerned” about the impact the conflict has on the world economy and energy security.

— Farnoush Amiri and Aamer Madhani

Iran and Oman to be allowed to charge for Strait of Hormuz passage

The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, a regional official said Wednesday.

The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. It wasn’t immediately clear what Oman would use its money for.

The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had considered the passage an international waterway and never paid tolls before.

The official, who had been directly involved in the negotiations, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

— Samy Magdy

Pentagon press briefing set for Wednesday morning

The announcement of the press conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, comes after the president announced the ceasefire agreement.

Israel agrees to terms of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire agreement, White House official says

The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire deal, says it extends to Israel and Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon.

— Aamer Madhani

There are concerns in Israel about ceasefire agreement, says AP source

That’s according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media.

The person said Israel would like to achieve more in the war with Iran.

— Sam Mednick

Leavitt says negotiations will continue

Asked for clarity on what Trump meant by the Iranian peace proposal being “workable,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump’s words speak for themselves: this is a workable basis to negotiate, and those negotiations will continue.”

“The truth is that President Trump and our powerful military got Iran to agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations will continue,” Leavitt said in a statement.

Oil prices plunge after Trump pulls back on threats to widen attacks

Futures for U.S. crude oil sank 18% to around $92.60, while Brent crude oil futures fell about 6% to $103.40.

Both prices remain well above where they were at the start of the war.

Futures for the S&P 500 rose 2.4%.

US signaled to Israel that strikes were meant to show Iran what could come, official says

Some Israeli officials had begun speculating as Trump neared his self-imposed deadline that he was edging toward finding an off-ramp even as he offered increasingly menacing rhetoric, according to person privy to internal deliberations.

The U.S. administration had signaled to Israelis that the strikes on military assets on Kharg Island earlier Tuesday and the targeting of Iran’s two main petrochemical hubs, Mahshahr and Assaluyeh, were sending a clear message to Tehran of what would come if Trump chose to further intensify the bombardment, according to the person who requested anonymity to discuss the matter.

Israeli officials were skeptical and believed the apparent breakthrough could unravel and lead to further escalation if the Iranians don’t make good on quickly opening the Strait of Hormuz, the person added.

— Aamer Madhani

US military has halted all offensive operations against Iran, US official says

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive military operations, noted that defensive measures and operations would still be in effect.

It comes after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with the Islamic Republic.

— Konstantin Toropin

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.”

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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.”