US President Donald Trump has announced a temporary halt to military operations against Iran, signalling a potential breakthrough in efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East.

In a statement on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Trump said the decision followed discussions with Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir, who urged restraint and called for de-escalation. US agreed to suspend planned attacks for two weeks, contingent on Iran ensuring the immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route.

“This will be a double-sided ceasefire,” Trump said, indicating that both Washington and Tehran are expected to pause hostilities during the period.

According to the statement, US officials believe key military objectives have already been achieved, creating room for diplomacy. The administration also revealed that it has received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which it considers a viable framework for negotiations.

“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to,” Trump said, adding that the two-week window would allow both sides to finalize a broader agreement aimed at long-term peace.

The development marks a significant shift in relations between the United States and Iran, whose tensions have fueled instability across the Middle East.

No immediate response was issued by Iranian authorities.

UN warning

Earlier on, the United Nations (UN) warned against the destruction of civilian infrastructure and renewed calls for urgent diplomatic efforts to end the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary-General António Guterres was “very troubled” by recent statements suggesting that entire populations could bear the consequences of political and military decisions.

“The Secretary General is very troubled by the statements that we’ve heard yesterday and again this morning: the statement suggesting that an entire people or an entire civilization may be paid to bear the consequences of political and military decisions,” he said.

Guterres stressed that no military justification exists for targeting civilian systems or inflicting widespread suffering.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions following reported threats to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran by US President Donald Trump. Guterres maintained that such actions would be unjustifiable under international law, reinforcing the UN’s stance on the protection of civilians.

About 12 hours before the Tuesday night deadline he set for Iranian authorities, Trump shared a social media post threatening to irreversibly obliterate Iran.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” Trump wrote.