Donald Trump’s Iran Agreement

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by MARK POWELL

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Depending on who you ask, president Donald Trump‘s recently announced two-week cease fire with the Islamic Republic of Iran was one of the following…

A brilliant negotiating tactic.

A potential military victory squandered at the five-yard line.

Another TACO (“Trump Always Caves On…”) moment.

A cringeworthy derangement that should have triggered invocation of the 25th Amendment.

As always, whenever Trump is involved, reaction will touch all points on the spectrum. So it was with this week’s eleventh-hour, fourteen-day truce between the United States and Iran that was agreed to Tuesday evening (April 7, 2026) – less than two hours before the start of threatened military attacks.

To recap: Trump had given Tehran an ultimatum, reinforced by a series of Truth Social posts (one of which made presidential history with its vulgarity), vowing to unleash an assault so massive that “a whole civilization will die” unless Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to vital oil tanker traffic by 8:00 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

Events ratcheted up earlier this week when Trump delivered a saber-rattling address from the White House, reinforcing his demand. He even trash-talked Iran during a children’s egg hunt – flanked by the Easter Bunny.

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President Trump, from the South Portico of the White House, with the Easter Bunny, addresses Iran: pic.twitter.com/uUq3vcb9TX

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 6, 2026

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Tensions were already boiling after Iran shot down a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet last week, triggering a massive – and dramatic – rescue mission for the injured crewman stranded behind enemy lines. The official narrative regarding that rescue operation continues to be challenged, though, with critics insisting it was a botched American bid to seize possession of Iran’s uranium stores.

Sunday morning, Easter Sunday, no less, brought Trump’s profanity-laden Truth Social rant, followed a few hours later by the tantalizingly cryptic post, “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time.” The White House later clarified that meant the president was extending his initial deadline by an additional day.

That extra time was critical. Negotiators worked frantically throughout the weekend, burning up phone lines between Washington and Tehran. A series of go-betweens, most notably Pakistan – Iran’s neighbor to the east – relayed offers, counter-offers, and counter-counter-offers.  

Tehran had desperately sought a 45-day truce with both the United States and Israel in exchange for easing its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman which handles a third of the world’s liquefied natural gas and 20 percent of its oil.

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In the end, Trump was willing to accept a two-week ceasefire to give time to hammer out a broader deal. With less than ninety minutes to go till the deadline, word of the agreement began leaking around 6:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday evening.    

“I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding the pause was “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran quickly agreed, promising its military would coordinate safe passage through the critical waterway.

“We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate,” Trump added. “Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated.”

The reaction was swift on world oil markets, with the price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate plunging almost $20 (or 15%) from Tuesday’s $112.95 a barrel to close at $95.56 by midnight. Global markets rallied on the news.

Critics countered that the Strait was open prior to Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu launching the attacks six weeks ago, and that oil prices remained well above their pre-war levels.

Early Wednesday (April 8, 2026), Trump expounded on the deal.

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“The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change!” Trump posted. “There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust.’ It is now, and has been, under very exacting Satellite Surveillance (Space Force!). Nothing has been touched from the date of attack. We are, and will be, talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran. Many of the 15 points have already been been agreed to.”

How are people reacting to the whirlwind developments? As noted in our lede, it depends on who you ask.

Many Democrats remain furious with Trump’s Tuesday morning post declaring “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Nearly fifty House members joined a call demanding Trump’s Cabinet invoke the 25th Amendment to relieve him of his presidential duties.

“Donald Trump’s instability is more clear and dangerous than ever,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi implored.

Across the aisle, Republican reaction was mixed…

From a self-professed MAGA supporter: “Nothing works like a deadline. As Trump wrote in his book The Art of the Deal, ‘Sometimes it pays to be a little wild.’ Winning is the way forward.”

From a conservative who was disappointed that the attacks stopped: “I’m not sure what the diplomats and the military chiefs are telling him, but I tend to be one who believes in hammering the nail all the way into the wall.”

And finally, from a GOP strategist unaffiliated with any camp: “What an entertaining and bewildering ride for all the Democrats and America haters, as well as the loony bin ‘intellectual heavyweights’ like Alex Jones, Candace Owens,  Marjorie Taylor Green, etc., who all were screaming for invoking the 25th amendment.”

“Politically, it looks like a win to all of the Nervous Nellies in Washington,” the strategist added. “But militarily speaking, it most certainly is not. Now Iran has extra innings of prep time to threaten, terrorize, and kill even more Iranian dissidents.”

How will all of this play out over the next two weeks? As with all things tied to Trump, “it’s complicated.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

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