By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
TWO-WEEK ceasefire between the United States (U.S.) and Iran has been agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following intense negotiations, with both sides setting terms tied to security, access, and military activity in the region.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the agreement provides for Iran to allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week period, with due consideration of technical limitations.
The U.S.s and Israel have suspended bombing operations as part of the arrangement.
Former National Security Council (NSC) Senior Director Michael Allen, highlighted concerns over Iran’s demands for tolls and unimpeded access for ships through the waterway, describing conditions attached to transit through the strait.
The ceasefire followed the release of American journalist Shelley Kittleson, who had been kidnapped by an Iran backed group in Baghdad.
Less than three hours after the ceasefire took effect, missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel and the Gulf states.
The agreement was brokered by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief General Asim Munir, stepping both sides back from escalation during a conflict that has lasted 40 days.
U.S. Vice President, JD Vance, described the arrangement as a fragile truce.
President Donald Trump said Iran’s 10-point proposal was a workable basis on which to negotiate, adding that almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to.
Iran’s demands include lifting all sanctions, withdrawing United States combat forces from regional bases, war reparations, Iranian control of Hormuz transit at $2 million per vessel, and the right to nuclear enrichment.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council described the ceasefire as an enduring defeat for Washington, while President Donald Trump called it a total and complete victory.
Reports following the ceasefire indicated that China worked through intermediaries including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt to encourage Iran toward negotiations and publicly welcomed the outcome.
Also, intelligence reporting indicated that China may have provided Iran with financial assistance, spare parts and access to its BeiDou navigation satellite system, which analysts said may explain improved accuracy in Iranian missile targeting.
Further intelligence assessments reviewed by multiple news organisations documented Russia’s role, including satellite surveillance surveys of 46 military and infrastructure sites across 11 Middle Eastern countries in the final 10 days of March.
The surveys included United States bases at Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia, Al Udeid in Qatar and Diego Garcia, with Iran striking many of those facilities within days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said he was 100% confident Russia was sharing targeting data with Tehran, stating that President Vladimir Putin’s goal was a long war in the Middle East.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) also calculated that Russia could receive between $45 billion and $151 billion in additional budget revenues in 2026 from the oil price spike linked to the crisis.
The Trump administration disclosed that it temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil as a market stabilisation measure.
Also, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) stated that Putin hopes successive crises in Iran will continue distracting the U.S. from pressuring him about the Ukraine war.
However, Trump insisted Iran’s uranium would be perfectly taken care of but did not confirm whether the agreement permits enrichment, while Iranian state outlets reported that it does.
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