The New York Times reported tonight the Pakistan-brokered deal “was reached shortly before President Trump’s deadline for Iran to agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the death of a ‘whole civilization.’ An Iranian official said the shipping channel would be reopened, with conditions.”
President Trump made the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social:
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, 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, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is 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. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
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Today, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and others, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” in Iran:
“We speak today with one voice and one purpose: to condemn President Trump’s threat to extinguish an entire civilization,” Shaheen said, along with Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Leader, Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.
“This is not strength. Intentionally destroying the power, water or basic infrastructure upon which tens of millions of civilians depend to punish the very civilians who suffer at the hands of the Iranian regime would constitute a war crime, a betrayal of the values this nation was founded on and a moral failure. It’s unconscionable to threaten the lives of so many people – grandparents, children, families – simply because they were born in Iran. President Trump’s reckless threat makes Americans less safe, further destabilizes our nation and economy and puts at greater risk U.S. service members. It only serves to push us further away from the only viable solution to this war: a diplomatic one. The president must not follow through on this threat,” the statement said.