President Trump agreed to suspend planned attacks on Iranian infrastructure for two weeks, backing off his April 7 ultimatum to destroy Iran's "whole civilization" including all power plants and bridges. The ceasefire was conditioned on Iran's "COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz." The agreement came after six weeks of US-Israel military strikes against Iran that began February 28, targeting military infrastructure, key officials, and facilities including strikes on Iran's Kharg Island energy export hub.
The ceasefire set the stage for face-to-face peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, representing a brief de-escalation in a conflict that has shaken global energy markets and drawn comparisons to the lead-up to the Iraq War. The conditional nature of the ceasefire -- demanding Hormuz reopening before talks could proceed -- established the framework that would collapse five days later when negotiations failed.