Overview
- Trump said Tuesday he would halt strikes for two weeks if Iran fully reopens the waterway, and Tehran confirmed two weeks of coordinated safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Pakistan mediated the eleventh-hour pause, and its leaders invited U.S. and Iranian delegations to begin talks in Islamabad on Friday.
- Heavy blows landed before the pause, with U.S. missiles hitting Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub and Israel reporting strikes that damaged bridges, rail lines, and a synagogue while Iran targeted regional energy sites.
- Israel said the ceasefire does not cover fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and local reports described continued Israeli operations there with additional deaths.
- Oil prices fell after the announcement, while a toll reported at more than 5,000 dead and expert warnings over strikes on bridges and power plants underscored the legal and humanitarian risks.