A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire appears to have averted the prospect of another escalation in America and Israel’s ongoing campaign against Iran.
With President Trump’s self-imposed deadline just hours away, a two-week conditional ceasefire was agreed yesterday (Tuesday) evening, which includes a temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
The cessation of Operation Epic Fury hostilities in Iran was announced less than two hours before the U.S. president’s 8pm Eastern time (12am GMT) deadline for widespread bombing of Iranian civilian infrastructure including power plants and bridges.
Media reports suggest B52 bombers had been in the air on their way to Iran before the deal was announced. Earlier, via social media President Trump had warned: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”
Prime minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif had made a last-ditch request for a two-week-long pause in hostilities to “allow diplomacy to run its course”.
And President Trump wrote in a later post: “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”.
And shortly afterwards Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a statement saying Iran had also agreed to the ceasefire. It read: “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordinating with Iran’s Armed Forces.”
Uncertainty still surrounds some aspects of the deal: there have been conflicting reports on whether the ceasefire includes Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, and whether a ten-point plan forming a basis for ongoing negotiations includes acceptance of Iranian uranium enrichment. Pakistan has invited representatives of both the U.S. and Iran to talks in Islamabad on Friday.
These latest developments follow weeks of speculation that America had been poised to mount some kind of ground operation in Iran to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli has recently arrived in the Gulf. The warship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which comprises roughly about 3,500 sailors and Marines, and transport and strike fighter jets.
As per U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), by Monday the U.S. claimed to have struck more than 13,000 targets in Iran and damaged or destroyed in excess of 155 Iranian Navy vessels.
- You can read the latest CENTCOM updates on its X social media feed and the Iranian announcement on Mr Araghchi’s X feed