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Iran has agreed to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks on the condition that U.S. and Israeli attacks on the country are halted, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday. The statement marks Tehran's most direct public commitment yet to restoring access to the waterway since the war began on February 28.
Araghchi's declaration came hours after President Trump announced a two-week suspension of U.S. bombing of Iran on Truth Social, describing the arrangement as "a double sided CEASEFIRE" and saying it was conditioned on what he called the "COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING" of the strait. A senior White House official separately confirmed to CNN that Israel is also part of the suspension, with Israeli forces agreeing to halt their bombing campaign while negotiations continue.
Araghchi was explicit that the safe passage guarantee is tied directly to a halt in attacks. The two-week window aligns with Trump's announced suspension, though Tehran's framing places the obligation on Washington and Tel Aviv first. Iran has throughout the conflict rejected the characterization that it was capitulating to U.S. demands, with its Supreme National Security Council confirming this week that it would enter upcoming talks in Islamabad with "complete distrust" toward the American side.
Iran's 10-point proposal, which Trump publicly acknowledged as "a very significant step" before agreeing to the ceasefire, includes a broader protocol for safe passage through the strait, the lifting of sanctions, reconstruction payments, and an end to hostilities across the region including in Lebanon and Iraq.
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