New Delhi: A little over an hour before his 8 PM EDT deadline to launch what he had framed as a genocidal bombing campaign against Iran and its civilisation, U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced a two-week suspension, calling Iran’s 10-point peace proposal “workable”.Iran welcomed Trump’s acceptance of the “general framework” of the Iranian proposal and said that if the attacks on Iran were halted then Tehran too would cease its “defensive operations” and allow safe passage for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, during which time it would pursue negotiations with the US, which had a 15-point proposal of its own.Both Trump and Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi thanked Pakistan in their statements.Meanwhile Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that it doesn’t include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.Iran’s 10-point proposal includes the following:Permanent end to the war rather than a temporary ceasefireGuarantees that Iran will not be attacked againAn end Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in LebanonA halt to all regional attacks, not just against Iran but by Iran tooFull lifting of all US and international sanctions on IranIn return, Iran will lift its blockade and reopen the Strait of HormuzA protocol for safe passage through the Strait of HormuzIran will impose a transit fee of ≈ $2 million per shipThe fee will be split with OmanReconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by US and IsraelIn the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan, Iran has included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists. Trump had said ending Iran’s nuclear programme entirely was a key point of the war.Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, its national security council, has in a statement that differs distinctly in tone from the Iran foreign minister’s measured line, claimed victory. “The enemy, in its unjust, illegal, and criminal war against the Iranian nation, has suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat,” it wrote.The Council wrote that Iran will only accept an end to the war “once all details aligned with its 10-point plan are finalised” and that this does not signify a termination of the war. It said that the negotiations will begin on Friday in Islamabad, “with complete distrust of the US side” but that the two-week period may be extended by mutual agreement.“Our hands are on the trigger, and as soon as the slightest mistake by the enemy is made, it will be responded to with full force,” the Council added.Trump wrote on Truth Social that the SCNS’s statement is “a fraud.” He wrote:“The alleged Statement put out by CNN World News is a FRAUD, as CNN well knows. The false Statement was linked to a Fake News site (from Nigeria) and, of course, immediately picked up by CNN, and blared out as a “legitimate” headline.”CNN has published a statement noting that the statement is not fake and that it was obtained from official sources.Officially, the breakthrough came in response to a last-minute request by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, just afte midnight Indian time on Tuesday night. However, an earlier draft of this tweet included a tell-tale line betraying the external provenance of his ‘request’ that both sides reach an interim agreement:Earlier version of Pak PM’s tweet.Later on Tuesday morning, Sharif posted a tweet in which he also said the ceasefire would cover the “allies” of both sides, including the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon.Tweet by Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, said in a statement early Wednesday that it will halt its operations in Iraq and the region for two weeks.Among countries which welcomed the ceasefire was Iran’s nearby Oman and Saudi Arabia. In statements on behalf of the Sultanate and Kingdom, the countries’ foreign ministries welcomed the announcement and added a note of appreciation for Pakistan.Malaysia, Australia, South Korea and Japan are among foreign countries which have reacted to the move.[This is a developing story. More details to follow]