Ask AI · Why Did Trump Shift to Ceasefire Talks at the Last Minute?

As the deadline for strikes on Iranian infrastructure approached, U.S. President Trump announced on April 7 that there would be a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Iranian media mocked it, saying Trump had raised a white flag.

The Iranian Tehran Times posted on X that Trump raised a white flag toward Iran’s missiles.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that “Satan” and his accomplices had failed.

Iran’s English-language news TV station Press TV reported that Trump accepted Iran’s conditions and announced a two-week ceasefire.

‌Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported that Trump had “retreated” again.

U.S. President Trump had previously said that if the U.S. and Iran could not reach an agreement by 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 7 (8:00 a.m. Beijing time on April 8), he would completely destroy Iranian infrastructure such as power plants and bridges. He also threatened to destroy all of Iranian civilization.

But at the last moment, on the evening of April 7, Trump posted on social media saying: “Based on discussions with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, they asked me to pause the destructive forces I was sending to Iran tonight, and assuming that the Islamic Republic of Iran agrees to immediately, comprehensively, and safely open the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to pause bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks. This will be a two-way ceasefire! The reason for doing this is that we have achieved—and even exceeded—all military objectives, and we have made significant progress in reaching a long-term peace agreement with Iran, as well as a Middle East peace agreement.”

He also said: “We received a ten-point proposal from Iran, and we believe it is a viable basis for negotiations. Nearly all of the past dispute points between the United States and Iran have been agreed upon, but the two-week period will allow the agreement to be finalized and take effect. I am honored, on behalf of the United States of America, as President of the United States, and also on behalf of the countries of the Middle East, that this long-standing issue is about to be resolved.”

The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement saying Iran has achieved all its goals and the United States has suffered a permanent defeat. “Accordingly, in accordance with instructions from Mujtaba, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council, and also given that Iran and the resistance forces hold the advantage on the battlefield, that the enemy, despite its loud threats, is unable to carry out them in practice, and that the adversary has officially accepted all of the Iranian people’s full legitimate demands, Iran has decided to hold negotiations in Tehran to finalize the relevant details, aiming to consolidate this achievement on the basis of victory on the battlefield in Iran, through political negotiations within a maximum of 15 days.”

Latest reports show that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire took effect at 3:30 a.m. Iran time on the 8th (8 a.m. Beijing time on the 8th).