Trump says Iranian leadership requests ceasefire after weeks of escalating conflict

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said that the leadership in Iran has reached out to Washington to request a ceasefire after weeks of escalating conflict.

Trump, taking to his social media account on Truth Social, described the Iranian leadership as “much less radicalised and far more intelligent than his predecessors,” a suggestion that the dynamics in Tehran may be shifting.

However, Trump made it clear that the United States will not agree to halt military operations immediately. He said the US would only consider a ceasefire once the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, is “open, free, and clear.”

This waterway is strategically crucial because a significant portion of the world’s oil passes through it.

Until those conditions are met, Trump warned that military pressure would continue, using forceful language about keeping up pressure on Iran’s capabilities.

The Iranian government, for its part, has not confirmed the ceasefire request, and officials have given no immediate response to the US statement. The situation remains volatile, with diplomatic uncertainty on one side and ongoing conflict disrupting regional stability and global energy markets on the other.