President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran’s president has asked the U.S. for a ceasefire.
But the U.S. will “consider” the offer only once the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free, and clear,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he wrote.
The announcement came hours before Trump was set to deliver an “important update on Iran” in an address to the nation, according to the White House.
The address is set for 9 p.m. ET.
It was not immediately clear if Iran would confirm or reject Trump’s claim that Tehran’s “New Regime President” had asked for the ceasefire. The two sides have frequently contradicted each other’s claims about the existence and status of peace-deal talks since the war began on Feb. 28.
It was also not clear if any ceasefire request was made directly to the U.S., as Trump’s post suggested, or if it came via an intermediary, such as Pakistan.
And even if President Masoud Pezeshkian had asked for the ceasefire, he may not have the last word: Iran’s supreme leader, not its president, has ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic.
The current ayatollah, Mojtaba Khamenei, has refrained from making public appearances since his accession following the killing of his father, the former Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, in an airstrike at the start of the war.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for additional information.
The month-old war has rapidly caused widespread economic turmoil and massive fluctuations in global energy prices. That turbulence is linked in large part to Iran’s continued ability to effectively block the Strait of Hormuz, the pathway for a major chunk of the world’s oil shipments.
Trump has acknowledged that the strait remains a key sticking point in the war, even as he and other administration officials insist that Iran’s military has been “obliterated” and that the U.S. is rapidly achieving its goals.
