Warning: This episode contains strong language.

The United States and Iran announced a two-week cease-fire last night, shortly before President Trump’s deadline for Iran to unblock the Strait of Hormuz or to potentially see its “whole civilization” destroyed.

David E. Sanger, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, explains what led to this last-minute deal and what it will take to make it stick.

Guest: David E. Sanger, a White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Mr. Trump found his offramp with Iran, but the causes of the war remain unresolved.


• Here is the latest on the Middle East.

Photo: Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.