The US and Iran have agreed a ceasefire, with talks to bridge the gulf between them. Here’s what to know

After a month and a half of spiraling conflict in the Middle East, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday – less than two hours before US President Donald Trump’s deadline, after which he had promised to wipe out a “whole civilization.”

That threat, which critics warned could be a war crime if carried out, appears to have been staved off for now at the 11th hour. But there remains a gulf between the two countries, who each portrayed the temporary truce as a victory for their nations.

The ceasefire is a starting point for further negotiations, and it remains to be seen what final terms may be included in a proposal to definitively end a war that has upended the Middle East and caused a historic global oil disruption.

What have the US and Israel said?

Trump announced the ceasefire in a Truth Social post, saying it was made on the condition that Iran agree to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows.

The ceasefire had been mediated by Pakistan’s prime minister and its military chief, he said. Iran had put forth a 10-point proposal, which the US views as “a workable basis on which to negotiate,” Trump added.

The next two weeks will allow a final agreement to be drawn up, he said.

In an interview with AFP news agency Tuesday, Trump described the deal as “total and complete victory.” But he would not say whether he would fulfill his prior threats to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure if Tehran reneged on the agreement, only saying: “You’re going to have to see.”

And in a later Truth Social post just past midnight, he said the US would be “helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” adding: “Big money will be made.”

What has Iran said?

What are the terms of the ceasefire?

Araghchi said in his statement that while Washington had accepted the “general framework” of Iran’s 10-point proposal as a “basis for negotiations,” Iran was in turn considering a 15-point proposal from the US.