Netanyahu says Israel ready to 'return to battle at any moment' against Iran
Highlights:
- US, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire
- Trump tells AFP he believes China got Iran to negotiate
- Pakistan to host US-Iran ceasefire talks Friday
- Israel PM's office says US-Iran ceasefire 'does not include Lebanon'
- NATO chief set for Trump talks as US-Iran truce begins
- Ceasefire deal a 'victory' for the US: White House
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
After more than a month of blistering attacks by the United States and Israel, Iran cast the ceasefire as a victory and said it had agreed to talks with Washington to begin Friday in Pakistan on a path to end the conflict.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Here are the latest updates following the provisional ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran:
12:41am
Netanyahu says Israel ready to 'return to battle at any moment' against Iran
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel remains prepared to confront Iran if necessary, despite a truce reached between the United States and Iran.
"Let me be clear: We still have objectives to complete, and we will achieve them -- either through agreement or through renewed fighting," Netanyahu said in a televised statement.
"We are prepared to return to combat at any moment required. Our finger remains on the trigger. This is not the end of the campaign, but a step along the way to achieving all our objectives."
"Iran enters this pause battered, weaker than ever."
AFP
12:38am
Trump sending VP to Pakistan for Iran talks on Saturday: White House
US President Donald Trump is sending Vice President JD Vance and other negotiators to the Pakistani capital for talks with Iran that will begin on Saturday, the White House said.
Trump "is dispatching his negotiating team led by the vice president of the United States, JD Vance, special envoy (Steve) Witkoff and Mr (Jared) Kushner to Islamabad for talks this weekend," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a news conference.
AFP
12:29am
UAE says Iran must pay for 'damages and reparations'
AFP
12:23am (April 9; Thursday)
Trump will continue to discuss Lebanon with Israeli PM: White House
US President Donald Trump will continue to discuss with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the idea of including Lebanon in an Iran war ceasefire deal, his spokeswoman said Wednesday.
"This will continue to be discussed, I am sure, between the president and Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu, the United States and Israel and all of the parties involved," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
The US-Iran truce does not include Lebanon, which was drawn into the war after Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel.
AFP
11:00pm
UN 'strongly condemns' Israeli strikes in Lebanon: spokesman
The United Nations "strongly condemns" Israel's latest wave of strikes across neighboring Lebanon, a spokesperson said Wednesday, lamenting the loss of civilian lives.
"The United Nations strongly condemns the strikes by Israel across Lebanon that resulted in significant civilian casualties," said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"We continue to call on all sides to avail themselves of diplomatic channels, cease hostilities" and use the new US-Iran ceasefire as an opportunity to prevent further loss of life, he added.
AFP
10:30
Hezbollah says has right to respond after deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon
Hezbollah said Wednesday it has a "right" to respond to Israel's deadly wave of strikes across Lebanon, which authorities said left at least 89 people dead and more than 720 wounded.
"We affirm that the blood of the martyrs and the wounded will not be shed in vain, and that today's massacres, like all acts of aggression and savage crimes, confirm our natural and legal right to resist the occupation and respond to its aggression," the Iran-backed movement said in a statement.
AFP
8:45pm
Iran downs Israeli-made drone above town in south: state TV
Iranian forces downed an Israeli-made Hermes drone flying above the town of Lar in the south of the country on Wednesday, state television said, citing a statement from the Revolutionary Guards.
"Minutes ago, an advanced Hermes 900 drone was intercepted and destroyed in the sky over Lar, Fars Province, by fire from the Revolutionary Guards' modern aerospace defence system," the statement reported by broadcaster IRIB said.
It added that "the entry of any type of enemy American or Zionist aircraft into the country's skies, even without conducting military operations, is considered a violation of the ceasefire and a decisive response will be given".
AFP
8:40pm
Israel says struck hundreds of Hezbollah members in 'surprise' Lebanon attack
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had carried out a surprise attack on Wednesday targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon.
"The IDF carried out a surprise strike on hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists at command centres across Lebanon. This is the largest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since Operation Beepers," Katz said in a video statement, referring to a major 2024 operation against Hezbollah involving pager bombs.
"We insisted on differentiating between the arenas of Iran and Lebanon in order to change the reality in Lebanon and remove threats from the residents of the north," Katz said.
"We warned Naim Qassem that Hezbollah would pay a very heavy price for attacking Israel on Iran's behalf -- and today we have carried out another stage of that promise," he added, referring to the Iran-backed armed group's leader.
Lebanon's health ministry said in a preliminary toll that the series of Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds.
AFP
8:35pm
Pakistan PM urges restraint amid Iran ceasefire violations
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that violations of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran undermine the spirit of the peace process and urged for restraint.
"I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict," Sharif, who was instrumental in brokering the truce, said in a post on X.
Reuters
8:30pm
Israeli forces damage UN convoy vehicle in Lebanon: Rome
Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Wednesday, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries, the Italian government said.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the incident was "unacceptable" while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the government was seeking clarification from the Israeli ambassador.
"To reiterate, Italian soldiers in Lebanon are not to be touched," Tajani told parliament.
An Italian convoy from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was carrying personnel from the town of Shama to Beirut when it was targeted by warning shots fired by the Israeli Defense Forces, Crosetto said in a statement.
AFP
8:20pm
Iran FM raises Israeli 'ceasefire violations' in call with Pakistani mediators
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi raised "ceasefire violations" by Israel in a call with the commander of the armed forces of Pakistan, which mediated the fragile US-Iran truce, an Iranian ministry statement said.
Araghchi "discussed the Zionist regime's violations of the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon", referring to Israel, in a call with the powerful Pakistani military leader Field Marshal Asim Munir, the statement said.
AFP
7:45pm
Global energy stocks plunge as US-Iran ceasefire hits oil
US and European energy stocks slid on Wednesday, as a ceasefire to the Middle East conflict punctured the hefty war premium built into oil prices due to fears of supply disruption through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil fell below $100 per barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump late on Tuesday agreed to a two-week suspension of strikes on Iran, subject to the immediate and safe reopening of the strait.
"The initial market reaction has been significant, but sentiment will remain driven by headline risk," said Achilleas Georgolopoulos, senior market analyst at brokerage XM.
"Any sign that the ceasefire is hanging by a thread can quickly reverse today's improved risk appetite, with oil prices reacting first."
Reuters
7:15pm
Iran to approach peace talks with US with caution: Iranian ambassador to UN
Iran will approach peace talks with the US with far more caution than in previous negotiations due to a big gap in trust, and the war will affect the future legal regime of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva said on Wednesday.
The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, suspending a six-week-old war that has killed thousands, spread across the Middle East and caused unprecedented disruption to the world's energy supplies.
"We are not putting any trust in the other side. Our military forces are keeping their preparedness...but meanwhile, we will go for negotiations to see how serious the other side is," the ambassador, Ali Bahreini, told Reuters.
Reuters
6:31pm
Trump says countries that supply weapons to Iran to face 50% US tariffs
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned against supplying weapons to Iran, threatening immediate 50 percent US tariffs on any country that does so.
"A Country supplying Military Weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed, on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, 50%, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
AFP
6:27pm
Iran's defense-industrial base 'completely' destroyed: Pentagon chief
The US war against Iran has "completely" destroyed the country's ability to build missiles or other sophisticated weaponry, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.
"We finished completely destroying Iran's defense-industrial base, a core pillar of our mission," Hegseth told reporters. "They can no longer build missiles."
AFP
6:15pm
Pakistan to host US-Iran ceasefire talks on Friday
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Islamabad would host delegations from the United States and Iran later this week following their ceasefire announcement.
"I... extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes," he said in a post on X.
Pakistan, which has forged a close relationship with US President Donald Trump and is sensitive to developments in neighbouring Iran, has emerged as a channel for messaging between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks.
AFP
6:00pm
Trump says will be 'no enrichment' of uranium in Iran
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday there will be no more enrichment of uranium by Iran, and that the two countries will work together to "dig up and remove" nuclear material deeply buried after last year's US airstrike.
"The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change!" Trump posted on Truth Social, hours after he announced a temporary ceasefire in the war with the Islamic republic.
"There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear 'Dust,'" he added.
AFP
5:24pm
Iran Guards say have 'no trust' in US, 'finger on trigger'
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Tuesday that they had "no trust" in promises from the United States despite a two-week ceasefire deal, adding that their "finger was on the trigger".
"The Iranian nation's dedicated guards are listening to the orders of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, His Holiness Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, and their finger is on the trigger," read a statement on their Telegram channel.
AFP
5:18pm
Turkey's Erdogan warns of 'sabotage' in Iran ceasefire
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Wednesday of the threat from "possible provocations and sabotage" to the ceasefire accord agreed by Iran and the United States.
In a message on X welcoming the last-minute accord, Erdogan said: "We hope that the ceasefire will be fully implemented on the ground without giving any opportunity for possible provocations and sabotage."
AFP
4:55pm
First ships through Strait of Hormuz since ceasefire
Two ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran agreed to reopen the waterway as part of a ceasefire deal, maritime monitor Marine Traffic said Wednesday.
"The Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the Strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach transited earlier at 06:59 UTC, shortly after departing Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC", MarineTraffic said on X.
The United States and Iran agreed overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday to a two-week ceasefire, during which passage through the Strait of Hormuz "will be possible via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces", Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.
AFP
4:23pm
Jet fuel supplies to take 'months' to recover from war disruption: IATA
It will take months for jet fuel supplies and prices to normalise even with the Strait of Hormuz open, the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Wednesday.
IATA director general Willie Walsh told reporters in Singapore it was difficult to say how long fuel supplies would take to recover, but "it's not going to happen quickly".
AFP
4:00pm
UAE says dealing with missiles, drones coming from Iran
The United Arab Emirates said it was dealing with missiles and drones coming from Iran on Wednesday, hours after a two-week truce came into effect.
"The UAE's air defences are currently engaging missile and drone attacks originating from Iran," the ministry of defence said in a statement on X.
AFP
3:30pm
IMO working to ensure 'security of transit' through Hormuz
The UN agency responsible for safety at sea said Wednesday that it is working to ensure "security of transit" through the Strait of Hormuz following the announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East war.
"I am already working with the relevant parties to implement an appropriate mechanism to ensure the safe transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz," said International Maritime Organisation chief Arsenio Dominguez.
"The priority now is to ensure an evacuation that guarantees the safety of navigation," he said in a statement.
AFP
3:05pm
Zelenskiy, welcoming Iran de-escalation, says Ukraine ready for ceasefire with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he welcomed the ceasefire between the US and Iran, adding that Kyiv was ready to "respond in kind" if Moscow ceased strikes.
"Ukraine has always called for a ceasefire in the war waged by Russia here in Europe against our state and our people, and we support the ceasefire in the Middle East and the Gulf that paves the way for diplomatic efforts," he wrote on X.
Reuters
3:00pm
Global energy shares drop as oil plunges after US-Iran ceasefire
US and European energy stocks slid on Wednesday as oil prices tumbled after a two-week Middle East ceasefire raised hopes for a resumption of oil and gas supply through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday agreed to the ceasefire less than two hours before his deadline for Iran to reopen the strait or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
The ceasefire follows a six-week conflict that drove oil prices sharply higher, forcing governments and companies to scramble for cover against a sudden energy shock.
Oil prices slumped below $100 per barrel on Wednesday, with Brent futures hitting their lowest in nearly a month at $91.70 after record monthly gains in March as the Middle East conflict disrupted global oil supplies.
"The return of free-flowing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, without any Iranian tolls or controls, feels essential if oil prices are going to start trending back toward levels we saw before the conflict began," said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Reuters
1:45pm
Iraq reopening airspace after Mideast war closure
Iraq's civil aviation authority said it was reopening the country's airspace on Wednesday following the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire, after it was closed due to the Middle East war.
"The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announces the reopening of Iraqi airspace to air traffic effective today, following the stabilisation of the situation and the return of conditions to normal," it said in a statement.
AFP
1:30pm
China says 'welcomes' Middle East ceasefire agreement
China said on Wednesday it welcomed a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, after the two countries agreed to a two-week pause in hostilities shortly before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump.
"China welcomes relevant parties announcing the reaching of a ceasefire agreement," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference, adding that China would continue to work towards restoring peace in the Middle East.
AFP
1:25pm
EU welcomes Iran truce creating 'space for diplomacy'
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas Wednesday welcomed the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran as a "step back from the brink" creating a "much-needed" window for diplomacy.
The Pakistan-brokered truce "creates a much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart shipping, and create space for diplomacy towards a lasting agreement," Kallas wrote on X.
"The EU stands ready to support those efforts and is in touch with partners in the region," added Kallas, who was due in Riyadh Wednesday for talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general Jassem al-Budaiwi and others.
AFP
1:15pm
Hezbollah pauses attacks under US-Iran ceasefire, sources close to group say
Lebanon's Hezbollah halted fire on northern Israel and on Israeli troops in Lebanon in the early hours of Wednesday as part of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire announced earlier, three Lebanese sources close to the group told Reuters.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key intermediary in ceasefire talks, said the two-week ceasefire would include Lebanon, where a new war between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel broke out on March 2.
Reuters reported last month that Iran wanted Lebanon included in any deal it made with the United States.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Wednesday the truce would not include Lebanon. Israel has issued a new evacuation order for one southern city, indicating it would strike there soon.
Reuters
1:00pm
Pro-Iran armed factions in Iraq announce two-week halt in attacks
Pro-Iran armed factions in Iraq announced on Wednesday a two-week halt to their attacks on "enemy bases" in the region after the start of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
"The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announces the suspension of its operations in Iraq and the region for two weeks," the alliance said in a short statement on Telegram.
AFP
12:50pm
Starmer heads to Gulf, welcomes Iran war truce
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to the Gulf on Wednesday to meet with regional leaders in an effort to bolster the ceasefire in the Middle East war, Downing Street said.
"I welcome the ceasefire agreement reached overnight, which will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world," a statement from Starmer's office quoted him as saying.
"Together with our partners we must do all we can to support and sustain this ceasefire, turn it into a lasting agreement and re-open the Strait of Hormuz."
The visit follows a virtual meeting Tuesday of military planners from over 30 countries hosted by Britain.
AFP
12:30pm
Israel's main opposition leader says ceasefire with Iran 'political disaster'
Israel's main opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticised the ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to achieve the war's objectives.
"There has never been a political disaster like this in our entire history. Israel was not even close to the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security," Lapid wrote on X.
"The army carried out everything that was asked of it, and the public showed remarkable resilience, but Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically, and did not achieve any of the goals he himself set."
AFP
12:15pm
Blasts heard in Bahrain despite US, Iran ceasefire
Explosions were heard in Bahrain's capital Manama on Wednesday morning, according to an AFP journalist, hours after the United States announced a ceasefire with Iran.
The Gulf kingdom's interior ministry said civil defence crews had succeeded in controlling a fire that broke out in a facility "targeted by the Iranian aggression", with no injuries reported.
An AFP reporter saw smoke rising from an area on Sitra island, close to Manama, that hosts Bahrain's principal energy facilities.
AFP
11:30am
Pakistan to host US-Iran ceasefire talks Friday
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Islamabad would host delegations from the United States and Iran later this week following the Mideast ceasefire announcement.
"I... extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes," he said in a post on X.
Pakistan, which has forged a close relationship with President Donald Trump and is sensitive to developments in neighbouring Iran, emerged as a channel for messaging between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks.
"We earnestly hope, that the 'Islamabad Talks' succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days," Sharif said.
AFP
10:30am
Trump says US will help with 'traffic buildup' in Hormuz Strait
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States will help with traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after Washington and Tehran agreed to a truce.
The countries agreed to a two-week ceasefire barely an hour before Trump's Wednesday deadline to obliterate Iran was set to expire.
Tehran later said it had agreed to safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil which has been virtually paralysed for weeks by the Middle East war, pushing up prices for crude and related products worldwide.
"The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process."
AFP
9:40am
Both sides claim victory after US, Iran agree to 11th-hour truce
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire barely an hour before President Donald Trump's Wednesday deadline to obliterate the country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Both sides claimed to have won the more than month-long conflict that has roiled global financial markets and sent oil prices skyrocketing, with Trump telling AFP the deal was a "total and complete victory" for the US.
Iran too cast the ceasefire as a win and said it had agreed to talks with Washington to begin Friday in Pakistan on a path to end the conflict.
"The enemy has suffered an undeniable, historic and crushing defeat in its cowardly, illegal and criminal war against the Iranian nation," said a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.
"Iran achieved a great victory."
The White House said Israel had also agreed to the ceasefire, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it does not include Lebanon, where Israeli assaults in response to rocket fire by Iranian-backed Hezbollah have led to more than 1,500 deaths, according to Lebanese authorities.
AFP
9:00am
Israel PM's office says US-Iran ceasefire 'does not include Lebanon'
Israel said Wednesday that a US-Iran ceasefire deal "does not include Lebanon", which was drawn into the war after Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel.
"The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon," the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
The statement contradicted an earlier announcement by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has acted as a mediator in the conflict, that said the ceasefire covers "everywhere including Lebanon".
AFP
8:45am
Trump tells AFP he believes China got Iran to negotiate
President Donald Trump told AFP on Tuesday that the United States had won a "total and complete victory" after agreeing a two-week ceasefire deal with Iran.
In a telephone call, Trump said he believed China had persuaded Iran to negotiate, and said Tehran's enriched uranium would be "perfectly taken care of."
AFP
8:40am
Ceasefire deal a 'victory' for the US: White House
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday praised the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, calling it a "victory" for the United States.
"This is a victory for the United States that President Trump and our incredible military made happen," Leavitt wrote on X.
"The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace."
AFP
8:15am
NATO chief set for Trump talks as US-Iran truce begins
NATO chief Mark Rutte will hold talks with Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday, one day after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
The US president has expressed anger at Western partners' refusal to back his war on Iran, rocking the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance.
He branded NATO partners "cowards" for limiting US forces' access to bases on their territories and for refusing to lead efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz.
But NATO's secretary-general touts a record of pulling Trump back onside -- and will be looking to do so again when he meets the president, as well as US top diplomat Marco Rubio and defense chief Pete Hegseth.
AFP
8:00am
Iran says talks with US to begin Friday in Islamabad
Iran's Supreme Security Council said on Wednesday negotiations with the United States would begin on Friday April 10 in Islamabad after it submitted a 10-point proposal to Washington via Pakistan, Iranian state media reported, adding that talks do not signal the end of the war.
Iran said the talks, which may last up to 15 days and could be extended by agreement, aim to finalise details of the proposal, which includes provisions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief and withdrawal of US combat forces from regional bases.
Reuters
7:30am
Oil dives, stocks surge as Trump agrees to two-week ceasefire
Oil prices dived, bonds rallied and stocks surged on Wednesday after a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East spurred a relief rally as investors cheered the possible resumption of oil and gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said he agreed to suspend bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks and that a long-term peace agreement was in progress.
Global markets have been rattled since the US and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February, leading Tehran to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway used to transit one-fifth of the world's oil and gas.
AFP
7:15am
Trump agrees to suspend bombing of Iran for two weeks
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he agreed to suspend bombing of Iran for two weeks as part of a ceasefire deal if Tehran completely reopens the vital Strait of Hormuz.
"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," Trump posted just an hour before his deadline to start catastrophic attacks.
AFP
7:00am
US, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
After more than a month of blistering attacks by the United States and Israel, Iran cast the ceasefire as a victory and said it had agreed to talks with Washington to begin Friday in Pakistan on a path to end the conflict.
Trump said he had spoken to Pakistan's leaders who "requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran."
"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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed safe passage for two weeks for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway for one-fifth of the world's oil which Tehran sealed off in retaliation for the war launched on February 28.
"If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations," Araghchi said.
AFP
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