President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday evening, less than two hours before his self-imposed 8 p.m. ET deadline to destroy the country unless it reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The deal, presented via Pakistan, prompted oil prices to plunge and stocks to surge worldwide. The announcement followed Trump's morning Truth Social post threatening that 'a whole civilization will die tonight' without a deal.
Trump's threat drew sharp backlash. Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, called it a 'threat of genocide' and demanded impeachment or invocation of the 25th Amendment. More than 85 House Democrats urged Trump's removal, with Ocasio-Cortez telling the military to refuse 'illegal orders.' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer labeled Trump a 'sick person.' Republicans largely defended the rhetoric as negotiation tactics, with Rep. Randy Fine citing 'The Art of the Deal.' Only a few, like Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Nathaniel Moran, criticized it directly. Some prominent conservatives, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, condemned the threats as 'vile' and 'irresponsible,' with Carlson calling them vile on every level and Kelly wishing Trump would stop. Candace Owens and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also called for the 25th Amendment. NPR reported this rift within the MAGA movement. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military is monitoring compliance, dismissing reports of overnight Iranian strikes on Kuwait, Israel, and the UAE as expected ceasefire hiccups. 'Commerce will flow' through the strait, he told reporters, adding U.S. troops are 'not going anywhere.' Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran has undergone 'regime change,' there will be no uranium enrichment, and the U.S. will remove buried nuclear material. He rejected media reports of Iran's 10-point plan demanding sanctions relief and U.S. withdrawal, insisting only U.S.-acceptable points form the basis. Markets reacted strongly: West Texas Intermediate crude fell 17.5% to $94 a barrel, Brent dropped 15.5% to $92, while Dow futures rose over 3%. The strait, handling 20% of global oil, had been closed, driving U.S. gas above $4 a gallon.
