People in Iran celebrate after the announcement of the two-week ceasefire. (Photo: AFP)
Get the news on the latest developments on the conflict in the Middle East here.
Cease fire, Strait of Hormoes reopened
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire at the last minute on Tuesday, barely an hour before Pres. Donald Trump’s deadline to destroy the country was about to expire.
Tehran also agreed to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
After more than a month of heavy attacks by the United States and Israel, Iran described the ceasefire as a victory. The country said it had agreed to talks with Washington, which will begin in Pakistan on Friday as part of a path to ending the conflict.
Trump said he had spoken to Pakistan’s leaders, who “requested that I hold back the destructive force that is being sent to Iran tonight (Tuesday)”.
“Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the full, immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack on Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
???? President Donald J. Trump makes a statement on Iran: pic.twitter.com/9mqTayL0Q3
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 7, 2026
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, confirmed safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks. The strait is the gateway for about a fifth of the world’s oil. Tehran closed it in response to the war that began on February 28.
“If attacks against Iran are stopped, our powerful armed forces will end their defensive operations,” Araghchi said.
Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, who played a key role as mediator, said the ceasefire would take effect immediately.
According to him, the US “along with its allies” agreed to a ceasefire everywhere, including in Lebanon.
Oil prices are falling sharply
Strait of Hormus (Photo: Jonathan Raa/ NurPhoto/AFP)
Oil prices fell by more than 17% after the announcement of the ceasefire.
Fuel costs have risen sharply for ordinary Americans since the war began, putting enormous political pressure on Trump.
Across much of the rest of the world, fuel prices have also skyrocketed.
Stock markets also rose early in Asia on Wednesday.
Trump said the US was “very far along” in negotiations on a long-term deal with Iran, laying out a 10-point plan he described as “workable”.
However, Iran itself has disclosed issues that pose more maximal demands, including the lifting of long-standing US sanctions, the guarantee of its own “control” over the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of US forces from the region.
Trump set a deadline for Iran to reopen the strait by 8:00 p.m. Washington time, or 3:30 a.m. in Tehran.
He had earlier threatened to destroy all power stations and bridges in the country of 90 million people, a move that could be considered a war crime as it mainly targets civilian infrastructure.
Among other things, Trump also threatened that an “entire civilization … will die and never recover”.
Heavy attacks before deadline
A group of people in Iran burn the flags of the USA and Israel. (Photo: AFP)
The United States and Israel have targeted critical infrastructure ahead of Trump’s deadline. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said railway lines and bridges believed to have been used by the Revolutionary Guard had been hit.
On Tuesday, Iranian authorities reported attacks on infrastructure, including a bridge outside Qom and a railway bridge in central Iran in which two people were killed.
Iran has persisted with weeks of drone and missile attacks on Arab Gulf states, due to their role as bases for US troops.
The attacks damaged the monarchies’ reputation for security and stability.
Qatar said early on Wednesday that four people, including a child, were injured by falling missile debris. Explosions were also heard in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates said it was responding to missile threats.
Two civilians, including an eight-year-old child, were killed in Baghdad when a projectile hit their home. – AFP
PRESIDENT TRUMP: ???????????????? Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the… pic.twitter.com/5kusEoCMbf
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) April 7, 2026