US and Iran Agree to Two-Week Ceasefire After Devastating Conflict
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a dramatic diplomatic breakthrough, Iran has accepted a two-week ceasefire with the United States, with negotiations set to begin Friday in Islamabad, Pakistan, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would suspend attacks on condition Tehran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s foreign minister confirmed that safe passage through the strategic waterway will be possible for two weeks through coordination with Iran’s armed forces.
Global Reactions and Analysis
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the truce, calling on all parties “to comply with their obligations under international law and to abide by the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a joint statement thanking mediators including Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia, noting that Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz had caused “unprecedented energy supply shocks.”
Trita Parsi, vice president at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told Al Jazeera that Trump “needed an exit” from what had become “an absolute disaster” of a war. “The next two weeks are going to be crucial,” Parsi said, noting that even if talks fail, Iran could still pressure the global economy by closing the strait.
Celebrations in Tehran and Baghdad
Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall reported from Tehran that celebrations erupted in the streets, with more people expressing happiness than ever before during the conflict.
“Tehran is almost empty. More than half the population is outside the city,” Vall said. “Iran has been suffering tremendously in this war… it must be a huge relief for the population to see an end, even if it is just a two-week truce.”
Celebrations also broke out in Baghdad, where Iraq had been pulled into the war as pro-Iran armed groups and US forces exchanged attacks. Shortly before the ceasefire announcement, Iraqi officials reported at least seven people, including two children, killed in strikes across the country.
Skepticism and Conflicting Positions
Some Iranians expressed doubt about US intentions. In Tehran’s Engelab Square, one woman told Reuters: “America has shown itself a hundred times till now. We were at the negotiating table twice when it attacked. This [ceasefire] is also certainly so that it restores itself.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israel agreed to “suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks” but stated that the “two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon.” This contradicts Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s earlier statement that parties agreed to an “immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere.”
Israeli forces reportedly shelled the Lebanese town of Baraachit and targeted an ambulance near the coastal city of Tyre following the truce announcement.
Suspicious Betting Activity
The ceasefire announcement drew attention to suspicious activity on Polymarket, an online prediction platform. According to the X account Polymarket History, a single user made $400,000 with two perfect bets predicting both the exact start of the US “operation on Iran” and the ceasefire date. The platform has faced scrutiny over potential insider trading throughout the conflict.
The two-week truce takes effect immediately, with all parties urged to protect civilian lives and comply with international law as diplomatic efforts toward lasting peace begin.
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