US-Iran Ceasefire Takes Effect, Mediated by Pakistan

A two-week conditional ceasefire took effect late Tuesday between the United States and Iran, halting a six-week conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 and severely disrupted global energy supplies through the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The pause, mediated primarily by Pakistan, came hours before a U.S. deadline for intensified attacks and includes Iran's commitment to safely reopen the vital waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passes.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement on social media, stating that military objectives had been achieved and that the period would allow for negotiations toward a lasting peace deal. He described it as a "double-sided ceasefire" based on talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, who requested a suspension of strikes in exchange for Iran's immediate and safe opening of the strait. Iranian officials, meanwhile, portrayed the truce as a demonstration of their resilience against U.S. and Israeli forces, with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father Ali Khamenei after the initial strikes killed the elder leader, approving...