War in the Middle East: U.S. and Iran agree on two

The United States and Iran have agreed on a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, April 7, just an hour before the deadline set by Donald Trump. Trump retracted his previous threats that “a whole civilization will die” if Tehran did not reach an agreement with Washington, and refrained from attacking Iranian bridges and power plants, which would have been considered a war crime.

“Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the complete, immediate and secure opening of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend bombings and attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks,” wrote Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council declared acceptance of the ceasefire and announced negotiations with the United States in Islamabad starting from Friday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be under the direction of the Iranian army, but it was not immediately clear if this meant Iran would completely loosen its grip on the waterway.

Neither Iran nor the United States indicated when the ceasefire would begin, and attacks occurred in Israel, Iran, and throughout the Gulf region on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated acceptance of the ceasefire, but specified that it “excluded Lebanon.”

According to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the talks, the ceasefire requires Israel and Hezbollah to cease fighting in Lebanon. “Both parties have shown remarkable wisdom and understanding and remained constructively engaged in promoting peace and stability,” he wrote.

In the plan published in Farsi, Iran included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program, along with allowing Iran and Oman to collect navigation fees in the strait, with the funds used for reconstruction. Other Iranian demands to end the war include the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, lifting sanctions, and unblocking frozen assets.

Prior to the deadline set by Donald Trump, airstrikes hit two bridges and a station, while the U.S. targeted military infrastructure on Kharg Island, a key point in Iran’s oil production. Despite the ceasefire announcement, missile alerts continued in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait on Wednesday.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the war, with over 1,500 casualties in Lebanon where Israel is combating Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and more than a million displaced. In the Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, over two dozen fatalities were reported, along with 23 deaths in Israel and 13 U.S. forces killed.