Accepting ceasefire, Trump agrees to negotiate on Iran's terms

Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times on Apr 7, 2026

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump stood down from bellicose threats to strike Iran’s critical infrastructure on Tuesday night, agreeing instead to a last-minute, two-week pause in fighting to make room for negotiations.

But he did so stating that diplomacy would revolve around a 10-point proposal from Tehran, a framework he described as a “workable basis on which to negotiate.”

The remark drew immediate concern among allies in the Middle East and even critics of the war at home, who fear that Iran’s criteria for an end to the war would leave the Islamic Republic in a stronger position than when the war began.

Officials familiar with the 10-point proposal have described it as including a toll system that would allow Iran to collect fees for commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international waterway that typically sees 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transit each day.

Tehran is also asking on the United States to relieve longstanding sanctions. And the document also called on Washington to remove U.S. troops throughout the Middle East, presumably a nonstarter for the Pentagon.

Not included in the 10 points is any mention or uranium. Iran Iran repeatedly vowed to retain what it has called a “right to enrich” uranium, the fissile material core to developing nuclear warheads. Over five weeks of war, Trump said the conflict was predicated on preventing Iran from ever building nuclear weapons.

The Iranian proposal also calls on Israel to stop Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

In his statement announcing a ceasefire, Trump said the agreement was “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” He made no mention of a potential toll system, or of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said in a statement that the strait would reopen for a two-week period.

“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible,” he said, adding, “via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”

Michael Rubin, an expert on Iran at the American Enterprise Institute, said that he views the ceasefire as a “tactical pause.”

“If Trump concedes on freedom of navigation and on enrichment, this isn’t a ceasefire agreement. It’s a surrender agreement,” he said.

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(Staff writer Gavin Quinton contributed reporting.)