PARAMARIBO – The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire. This truce came into effect immediately and follows intensive mediation by Pakistan, various international media report. Under the deal, the United States and Israel are suspending military operations, while Iran has pledged to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. Free passage in this strait was a central demand from the American side during the negotiations.
The foundation for the fighting pause is a ten-point plan presented by the Iranian delegation. President Trump has labeled this plan as a constructive starting point for further discussions. According to the American president, most of the major points of contention from the past have now been addressed, but the next two weeks are necessary to work out the details of the final agreement. Later this week, the parties involved will meet in the Pakistani capital Islamabad to officially ratify the agreements.
According to Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif, the ceasefire covers the entire region. This means that the allies of both countries, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, have also temporarily stopped fighting. The pause in fighting offers a respite in a conflict that has caused a large flow of refugees and a high number of casualties, especially in Lebanon.
The diplomatic breakthrough came shortly before the expiration of a US ultimatum to Tehran. The past five weeks have been marked by an escalation of violence, with large-scale attacks on Iranian targets being met with counterattacks on US military bases and other locations in the Gulf region. With this temporary truce, the mediators hope to pave the way for a lasting cessation of hostilities.
