US, Israel and Iran agree to a 2-week ceasefire as Trump pulls back on his threats

US, Israel and Iran agree to a 2-week ceasefire as Trump pulls back on his threats 1 of 10 | U.S. President Donald Trump pulled back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran late Tuesday, swerving to deescalate the war less than two hours before the deadline he set for Tehran to capitulate or else a “whole civilization will die.” 2 of 10 | President Donald Trump said late Tuesday he’s pulling back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran (AP Production: Marissa Duhaney) 3 of 10 | Tensions remained high on the Israeli-Lebanese border as rocket and drone attacks by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah continued to set off sirens throughout the day on Tuesday. Israel has moved thousands of troops across the border into Lebanon, and Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have been fighting on the ground for weeks. (AP video shot by: Alon Bernstein) 4 of 10 | Pro-government demonstrators gathered and chanted in the streets of Iran’s capital Wednesday morning after the ceasefire was announced. (AP video shot by Mohsen Ganji) 5 of 10 | Iran, the United States and Israel reached a tentative, two-week ceasefire Wednesday in the war that tore across the Middle East and disrupted the global energy market, with U.S. President Donald Trump pulling back from his threats to destroy Iranian “civilization.” But questions immediately emerged over what appeared to be dueling proposals to halt the fighting, with Iran insisting it would continue to control and charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as well as enrich uranium. 6 of 10 | A government supporter chants slogans during a gathering after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) 7 of 10 | Pro-government demonstrators chant slogans as they hold Iranian flags and a poster of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in a gathering after announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel, at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, Square, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 8 of 10 | An Iranian cluster munition missile explodes in the sky over northern Israel, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) 9 of 10 | A demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei during a gathering after announcement of a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) 10 of 10 | Displaced children sit on a truck with their packed belongings as they wait for an official ceasefire decision between Iran and the United States that they hope will include Lebanon and allow them to return to their villages, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari) 1 of 10 U.S. President Donald Trump pulled back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran late Tuesday, swerving to deescalate the war less than two hours before the deadline he set for Tehran to capitulate or else a “whole civilization will die.” Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 10 President Donald Trump said late Tuesday he’s pulling back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran (AP Production: Marissa Duhaney) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 10 Tensions remained high on the Israeli-Lebanese border as rocket and drone attacks by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah continued to set off sirens throughout the day on Tuesday. Israel has moved thousands of troops across the border into Lebanon, and Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have been fighting on the ground for weeks. (AP video shot by: Alon Bernstein) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 10 Pro-government demonstrators gathered and chanted in the streets of Iran’s capital Wednesday morning after the ceasefire was announced. (AP video shot by Mohsen Ganji) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 5 of 10 Iran, the United States and Israel reached a tentative, two-week ceasefire Wednesday in the war that tore across the Middle East and disrupted the global energy market, with U.S. President Donald Trump pulling back from his threats to destroy Iranian “civilization.” But questions immediately emerged over what appeared to be dueling proposals to halt the fighting, with Iran insisting it would continue to control and charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as well as enrich uranium. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 6 of 10 A government supporter chants slogans during a gathering after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 7 of 10 Pro-government demonstrators chant slogans as they hold Iranian flags and a poster of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in a gathering after announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel, at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, Square, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 8 of 10 An Iranian cluster munition missile explodes in the sky over northern Israel, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 9 of 10 A demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei during a gathering after announcement of a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 10 of 10 Displaced children sit on a truck with their packed belongings as they wait for an official ceasefire decision between Iran and the United States that they hope will include Lebanon and allow them to return to their villages, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Tehran, Iran (AP) — Israel’s military said Wednesday that it “continues fighting and ground operations” in its war against the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.The military issued a statement acknowledging that the war was continuing, even after mediator Pakistan said that Israel would halt its attacks as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war.Israel separately acknowledged strikes into Iran up to the ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said Israel would honor the Iran ceasefire while continuing to fight Hezbollah. Hezbollah has not offered any statement yet.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Tehran, Iran (AP) — Iran, the United States and Israel reached a two-week ceasefire Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump pulled back from his threats to destroy Iranian “civilization.” But questions emerged over what appeared to be dueling proposals to halt the regionwide war and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, with Iran insisting it would charge tolls to passing ships and continue to enrich uranium. Trump then suggested American warships would be “hangin’ around” the waterway, through which 20% of all oil and natural gas passes in peacetime. That could be a potential flashpoint as the days goes on. Varying reports of ceasefire’s termsTrump initially said had Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war he launched with Israel on Feb. 28. But he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating. Trump has said ending Iran’s nuclear program was a key war goal.Israel backed the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday it won’t stop his country’s fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which continued through the morning. That contradicted comments from Pakistan, a key mediator, which said the ceasefire included the fighting in Lebanon. Pakistan said that talks over cementing a peace plan would begin in Islamabad as soon as Friday. Pakistan also said the ceasefire was to begin immediately, while Iran launched attacks on Gulf Arab states and Israel soon after. Oil prices fell and stocks rose as Asian markets opened Wednesday after the eleventh-hour agreement to reopen the strait.In the streets of Tehran, pro-government demonstrators screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” after the ceasefire announcement and burned American and Israeli flags. It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptical battle with the United States. Iran and Oman to collect shipping fees in Strait of HormuzIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management. It wasn’t clear whether that meant Iran would completely loosen its chokehold on the waterway.The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations they were directly involved in. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. But that would upend decades of reliance on the strait as an international waterway free for transit and will likely not be acceptable to the Gulf Arab states, which also need to rebuild after repeated Iranian attacks targeting their oilfields. “Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process,” Trump said on social media.Ceasefire leaves questions unresolvedIt’s not clear what happens when the two weeks of the ceasefire ends. There’s little public sign that Iran and the United States had resolved disagreements over the fate of Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missiles or its regional proxies — among the issues that the United States and Israel cited as justifications for launching the war.In addition to control of the strait, Iran’s demands for ending the war include withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions and the release of its frozen assets.All those likely are nonstarters for Trump and potentially other Western nations. Iran’s chokehold on the strait roiled the world economy and raised the pressure on Trump to reach a deal. Since the war began, Trump has repeatedly backed off deadlines just before they expire. In doing so again Tuesday, Trump said in a social media post he had come to the decision “based on conversations” with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief.There are concerns in Israel about the agreement, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media. The person said Israel would like to achieve more. Airstrikes hit Iran, which fires on Saudi Arabia and IsraelMissile alerts were issued in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait after the ceasefire announcement. A gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi was ablaze after incoming Iranian fire, officials said.Earlier Tuesday the Israeli military said it attacked an Iranian petrochemical site in Shiraz, the second day in a row it hit such a facility. The military later said it struck bridges used by Iranian forces to transport weapons and military equipment.More than 1,900 people had been killed in Iran as of late March, but the government has not updated the war’s toll for days.In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 people have been killed. and 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died.In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.___Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Magdy reported from Cairo and Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Edie Lederer at the United Nations, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report. Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. Metz covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and points beyond for The Associated Press.