In a significant development after escalating tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a two-week “double-sided ceasefire” with Iran. This announcement came shortly before a self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments, which Trump had ominously warned could lead to catastrophic consequences if not complied with.<\/p>\n
Iran has accepted the ceasefire agreement, which is based on a detailed ten-point plan; however, it has clarified that this does not equate to a resolution of hostilities. The situation has evolved following a series of attacks by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets over the past month, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile and drone strikes against Israel and allied Gulf nations.<\/p>\n
Trump’s ultimatum, which called for the reopening of the Strait by 8 PM Washington time, was underscored by threats to destroy crucial infrastructure across Iran, home to approximately 90 million people. He emphasized the dire consequences in a social media post, stating, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” expressing a hope that such a fate could be avoided.<\/p>\n
As tensions escalated, the United States and Israel executed strikes on key Iranian infrastructures, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirming attacks on railway lines and bridges associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. In response, Iranian citizens formed human chains around power plants to safeguard them from potential bombings.<\/p>\n
Approximately an hour prior to the deadline, Trump announced the suspension of U.S. bombings in Iran for a two-week period, contingent upon Iran’s agreement to a secure and immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He characterized the ceasefire as a mutual agreement and asserted that the U.S. had already achieved its military objectives in the region.<\/p>\n
Following Trump’s declaration, reports emerged that Iran had launched two missiles towards Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Jericho. Trump mentioned that Iran had submitted a “workable” ten-point plan for negotiations, which he indicated served as a foundation for discussions. However, it remains uncertain if this plan aligns with a previously rejected proposal.<\/p>\n
Details from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council outline several critical points in the proposed plan, including coordinated control over the Strait of Hormuz, the cessation of warfare against the Resistance Axis, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, and the establishment of a safe transit protocol within the strait. Additionally, it calls for the lifting of sanctions against Iran and the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad.<\/p>\n
The mediation efforts leading to this agreement were facilitated by Pakistan, which urged Trump to avoid further military action against Iran. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif indicated that negotiations were progressing effectively and emphasized the importance of opening the Strait as a gesture of goodwill. The narrow strait typically sees around 20% of the world’s oil supply transit through it.<\/p>\n
The ceasefire is reported to extend to Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel’s position on the agreement remaining officially unannounced. However, sources indicate that Israel has accepted the terms of the ceasefire. Iran is expected to engage in talks with the U.S. on Friday in Islamabad, though the possibility of direct discussions has yet to be confirmed by White House officials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a significant development after escalating tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a two-week “double-sided ceasefire” with Iran. This announcement came shortly before a self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments, which Trump had ominously warned could lead to catastrophic consequences if not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4877,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[43,324,595],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-au-unrest-conflict-and-war","category-au-world-politics"],"yoast_head":"\n