The United States and Iran have agreed to a temporary two-week ceasefire, narrowly avoiding a wider war in the Middle East. The agreement came after rising tensions and threats of US strikes, with former US President Donald Trump reportedly setting a deadline before ultimately pausing military action to allow room for diplomacy.
Ceasefire covers wider region
The ceasefire is not limited to direct conflict between the US and Iran, as it is said to extend across the wider region, including Lebanon, in an effort to reduce overall hostilities said by Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan played a key role in mediating the deal and is expected to host further negotiations aimed at finding a longer-term solution. Prior to this, Trump had set a deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz by 8pm Washington time (midnight GMT), or 3.30am in Tehran.
Threats to destroy all power plants and bridges across the country of 90 million people were mentioned, before ceasefire agreements took place.
Sharif also added that Pakistan’s capital Islamabad would welcome delegations from both countries on Friday to hold negotiations aimed at reaching a “conclusive agreement”.
Safe opening of Strait of Hormuz
A major condition of the agreement is Iran’s decision to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route, which had been disrupted during the conflict and caused concerns over global energy supplies.
According to Malay Mail, Trump wrote on his Truth social platform that “Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz which which carries one-fifth of the world’s oil will allow safe passage of two weeks for ships.
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