US, Iran agree to ceasefire as Trump pulls back on threat to destroy Iranian 'civilisation'
The US and Iran on Wednesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire, reaching a deal just hours before President Donald Trump's deadline and threatened destruction of Iranian "civilisation" if Tehran failed to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Details of the Pakistan-brokered agreement are set to be negotiated in Islamabad on Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the truce deal does not include Lebanon.
Issued on: 08/04/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24
Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square in Tehran on April 8 2026. © AFP
The United States and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire Wednesday as US President Donald Trump pulled back from his threats to destroy Iranian "civilisation".
But questions emerged over what appeared to be duelling proposals to halt the regionwide war and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, with Iran insisting it would charge tolls to passing ships and continue to enrich uranium.
Trump then suggested American warships would be “hangin’ around” the waterway, through which 20 percent of all oil and natural gas passes in peacetime. That could be a potential flashpoint as the days goes on.
Trump initially said had Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war he launched with Israel on February 28. But he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating. Trump has said ending Iran’s nuclear program was a key war goal.
Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday it won't stop his country's fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which continued through the morning.
The United States and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire Wednesday as US President Donald Trump pulled back from his threats to destroy Iranian "civilisation".
But questions emerged over what appeared to be duelling proposals to halt the regionwide war and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, with Iran insisting it would charge tolls to passing ships and continue to enrich uranium.
Trump then suggested American warships would be “hangin’ around” the waterway, through which 20 percent of all oil and natural gas passes in peacetime. That could be a potential flashpoint as the days goes on.
Trump initially said had Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war he launched with Israel on February 28. But he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating. Trump has said ending Iran’s nuclear program was a key war goal.
Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday it won't stop his country's fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which continued through the morning.
US-Iran ceasefire ‘a major problem domestically’ for Netanyahu
© France 24
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That contradicted comments from Pakistan, a key mediator, which said the ceasefire included the fighting in Lebanon.
Pakistan said that talks over cementing a peace plan would begin in Islamabad as soon as Friday. Pakistan also said the ceasefire was to begin immediately, while Iran launched attacks on Gulf Arab states and Israel soon after.
Oil prices fell and stocks rose as Asian markets opened Wednesday after the eleventh-hour agreement to reopen the strait.
In the streets of Tehran, pro-government demonstrators screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” after the ceasefire announcement and burned American and Israeli flags. It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptical battle with the United States.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management. It wasn’t clear whether that meant Iran would completely loosen its chokehold on the waterway.
Iran views ceasefire as 'victory against the United States and Israel'
© France 24
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The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations they were directly involved in. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction.
But that would upend decades of reliance on the strait as an international waterway free for transit and will likely not be acceptable to the Gulf Arab states, which also need to rebuild after repeated Iranian attacks targeting their oil fields.
“Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process,” Trump said on social media.
It's not clear what happens when the two weeks of the ceasefire ends.
There's little public sign that Iran and the United States had resolved disagreements over the fate of Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles or its regional proxies – among the issues that the United States and Israel cited as justifications for launching the war.
In addition to control of the strait, Iran’s demands for ending the war include withdrawal of US combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions and the release of its frozen assets.
All those likely are nonstarters for Trump and potentially other Western nations. Iran’s chokehold on the strait roiled the world economy and raised the pressure on Trump to reach a deal.
Since the war began, Trump has repeatedly backed off deadlines just before they expire. In doing so again Tuesday, Trump said in a social media post he had come to the decision “based on conversations” with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief.
There are concerns in Israel about the agreement, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media. The person said Israel would like to achieve more.
Missile alerts were issued in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait after the ceasefire announcement. A gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi was ablaze after incoming Iranian fire, officials said.
Earlier Tuesday the Israeli military said it attacked an Iranian petrochemical site in Shiraz, the second day in a row it hit such a facility. The military later said it struck bridges used by Iranian forces to transport weapons and military equipment.
More than 1,900 people had been killed in Iran as of late March, but the government has not updated the war's toll for days.
In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 people have been killed. and 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died.
In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
How Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire deal between Iran and the US
Pakistan cast itself as an unlikely diplomatic broker on Wednesday, saying it had helped secure a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said he would host talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Middle East war beginning on April 10.
Issued on: 08/04/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24
Iran positively reviewing Pakistan’s request for a two-week ceasefire, source says
What are Pakistan's ties to Iran?
"Pakistan has strong credentials as the only country in the region enjoying good relations with the US and Iran," said the country's former ambassador to Tehran, Asif Durrani.
Pakistan shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border in its southwest with Iran, and also deep historical, cultural and religious links.
Pakistan is home to the world's second-biggest Shia Muslim population after Iran.
Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan after independence in 1947. Pakistan returned the favour for the Islamic republic after the 1979 revolution.
Pakistan also represents some Iranian diplomatic interests in Washington, where Tehran has no embassy.
How about the US?
Pakistan's powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has built up a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump.
Munir – in a Western business suit rather than army fatigues – visited Washington with Sharif last year after a flare-up in hostilities between Pakistan and India in divided Kashmir.
Sharif praised Trump's "bold and visionary" intervention, while Munir said the US leader deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping an escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
On Iran, Trump said Pakistan knows the country "better than most".
Personal relations have long helped boost bilateral ties shaped by shifting strategic interests that have at times been strained.
Even as a non-NATO ally in the post-9/11 "war on terror", Pakistan faced US claims that it was harbouring militants who were responsible for attacking coalition troops across the border in Afghanistan.
Relations strained further when US troops killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in 2011 without telling Islamabad, and Pakistan faced accusations of complicity in harbouring the fugitive.
How about other regional players?
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a strategic mutual defence agreement in 2025, cementing longstanding ties but also restricting how far Islamabad could go in supporting Tehran.
Sharif and his government have been quick to keep Riyadh on side, and the prime minister recently visited for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Pakistan also shares close ties with Beijing, which, Trump told AFP, helped get Iran across the line to the negotiating table.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar hosted a meeting with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt last month for discussions on de-escalating the conflict and then flew to Beijing for further talks.
China, which is Iran's largest trading partner, then joined its longstanding South Asian ally in calling for a plan to end the fighting engulfing the Middle East, saying it supported "Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation".
What's in it for Pakistan?
Neutrality makes economic sense for Pakistan, which relies on oil and gas imports through the Strait of Hormuz and wants to avoid getting dragged into further conflict on its doorstep.
Continued disruption would have worsened fuel supplies, driven up prices and forced further austerity measures for the cash-strapped government.
A permanent end to the war would not only boost regional stability but also Pakistan's international standing at a time when it is locked in armed conflict with neigbouring Afghanistan and less than a year after it traded strikes with arch-rival India.
What role will Pakistan play next?
The Pakistani premier said he would welcome US and Iranian delegations to the capital from April 10.
"Iran will feel more comfortable in Islamabad which is why it accepted Pakistan's mediation," said Durrani, the former ambassador, adding Pakistan could help the two sides resolve outstanding differences.
If talks were direct, "then Pakistan may help the parties to fine-tune the language if there is a stalemate", he said, adding that Pakistan officials could also act as the go-between if the two sides would not meet face-to-face.
Pakistan does not formally recognise Israel, which said on Wednesday it supported Trump's decision to suspend bombing, but that the two-week ceasefire did not include Lebanon where it has carried out ground and aerial operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
That contradicted Sharif's earlier statement that the ceasefire covered "everywhere including Lebanon".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Pakistan cast itself as an unlikely diplomatic broker on Wednesday, saying it had helped secure a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said he would host talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Middle East war beginning on April 10.
Issued on: 08/04/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24
A vendor displays morning newspapers at his roadside stall in Islamabad. Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Iran and the United States to secure a temporary ceasefire and host negotiations to end the war in the Middle East. © Aamir Qureshi, AFP
Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Iran and the United States to secure a temporary ceasefire and host negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the United States and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire "everywhere" following mediation by his government.
Sharif said the two-week truce – which Trump and Tehran had announced earlier – would next lead to talks in the Pakistan capital.
"Pakistan achieved one of its biggest diplomatic wins in years," said South Asia expert Michael Kugelman in an X post.
"It also defied many skeptics and naysayers that didn’t think it had the capacity to pull off such a complex, high-stakes feat."
Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Iran and the United States to secure a temporary ceasefire and host negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the United States and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire "everywhere" following mediation by his government.
Sharif said the two-week truce – which Trump and Tehran had announced earlier – would next lead to talks in the Pakistan capital.
"Pakistan achieved one of its biggest diplomatic wins in years," said South Asia expert Michael Kugelman in an X post.
"It also defied many skeptics and naysayers that didn’t think it had the capacity to pull off such a complex, high-stakes feat."
Iran positively reviewing Pakistan’s request for a two-week ceasefire, source says
© France 24
05:10
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What are Pakistan's ties to Iran?
"Pakistan has strong credentials as the only country in the region enjoying good relations with the US and Iran," said the country's former ambassador to Tehran, Asif Durrani.
Pakistan shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border in its southwest with Iran, and also deep historical, cultural and religious links.
Pakistan is home to the world's second-biggest Shia Muslim population after Iran.
Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan after independence in 1947. Pakistan returned the favour for the Islamic republic after the 1979 revolution.
Pakistan also represents some Iranian diplomatic interests in Washington, where Tehran has no embassy.
How about the US?
Pakistan's powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has built up a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump.
Munir – in a Western business suit rather than army fatigues – visited Washington with Sharif last year after a flare-up in hostilities between Pakistan and India in divided Kashmir.
Sharif praised Trump's "bold and visionary" intervention, while Munir said the US leader deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping an escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
On Iran, Trump said Pakistan knows the country "better than most".
Personal relations have long helped boost bilateral ties shaped by shifting strategic interests that have at times been strained.
Even as a non-NATO ally in the post-9/11 "war on terror", Pakistan faced US claims that it was harbouring militants who were responsible for attacking coalition troops across the border in Afghanistan.
Relations strained further when US troops killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in 2011 without telling Islamabad, and Pakistan faced accusations of complicity in harbouring the fugitive.
How about other regional players?
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a strategic mutual defence agreement in 2025, cementing longstanding ties but also restricting how far Islamabad could go in supporting Tehran.
Sharif and his government have been quick to keep Riyadh on side, and the prime minister recently visited for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Pakistan also shares close ties with Beijing, which, Trump told AFP, helped get Iran across the line to the negotiating table.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar hosted a meeting with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt last month for discussions on de-escalating the conflict and then flew to Beijing for further talks.
China, which is Iran's largest trading partner, then joined its longstanding South Asian ally in calling for a plan to end the fighting engulfing the Middle East, saying it supported "Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation".
What's in it for Pakistan?
Neutrality makes economic sense for Pakistan, which relies on oil and gas imports through the Strait of Hormuz and wants to avoid getting dragged into further conflict on its doorstep.
Continued disruption would have worsened fuel supplies, driven up prices and forced further austerity measures for the cash-strapped government.
A permanent end to the war would not only boost regional stability but also Pakistan's international standing at a time when it is locked in armed conflict with neigbouring Afghanistan and less than a year after it traded strikes with arch-rival India.
What role will Pakistan play next?
The Pakistani premier said he would welcome US and Iranian delegations to the capital from April 10.
"Iran will feel more comfortable in Islamabad which is why it accepted Pakistan's mediation," said Durrani, the former ambassador, adding Pakistan could help the two sides resolve outstanding differences.
If talks were direct, "then Pakistan may help the parties to fine-tune the language if there is a stalemate", he said, adding that Pakistan officials could also act as the go-between if the two sides would not meet face-to-face.
Pakistan does not formally recognise Israel, which said on Wednesday it supported Trump's decision to suspend bombing, but that the two-week ceasefire did not include Lebanon where it has carried out ground and aerial operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
That contradicted Sharif's earlier statement that the ceasefire covered "everywhere including Lebanon".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
France pushes for wider truce as Iran ceasefire leaves Lebanon out
French President Emmanuel Macron convened a meeting of top defence and security officials on Wednesday after a two-week ceasefire was agreed between the United States and Iran, calling the deal “a very good thing” but saying it must “fully” include Lebanon.
Issued on: 08/04/2026 - RFI
An anti-war protester holds a sign with a peace dove during a rally near the White House in Washington on 7 April 2026, as a ceasefire in the Iran war was announced. © Getty Images/AFP/Alex Wong
The defence council brought together ministers and senior officials to discuss “the situation in Iran and the Middle East,” the Élysée said. The meeting also addressed the return of two French nationals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, freed by Iran.
The ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, comes on the 40th day of the war and is meant to halt fighting for two weeks while negotiations take place. It also includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, whose disruption to oil shipments drove up global energy prices.
However Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, where operations against Hezbollah continued on Wednesday.
Macron said the ceasefire must be fully respected “in the days and weeks to come” and allow negotiations on Iran’s nuclear, ballistic and regional issues.
Pakistan is set to host talks from Friday in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the deal applied across the region.
“I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately,” he wrote on X.
The defence council brought together ministers and senior officials to discuss “the situation in Iran and the Middle East,” the Élysée said. The meeting also addressed the return of two French nationals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, freed by Iran.
The ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, comes on the 40th day of the war and is meant to halt fighting for two weeks while negotiations take place. It also includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, whose disruption to oil shipments drove up global energy prices.
However Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, where operations against Hezbollah continued on Wednesday.
Macron said the ceasefire must be fully respected “in the days and weeks to come” and allow negotiations on Iran’s nuclear, ballistic and regional issues.
Pakistan is set to host talks from Friday in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the deal applied across the region.
“I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately,” he wrote on X.
Relief and caution
European leaders reacted with cautious optimism but stressed the need for a lasting settlement.
“I welcome the ceasefire agreement reached overnight, which will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a statement.
Starmer’s office said he would travel to the Middle East for talks with Gulf partners on ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains permanent.
Oman, which had been mediating indirect talks, also welcomed the ceasefire and called for “intensifying efforts” to resolve the crisis.
Germany voiced support for continued diplomacy. “The aim now must be to negotiate a lasting end to the war in the coming days,” said Friedrich Merz. “This can only be achieved through diplomatic channels.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha praised the deal and used it to call for similar action against Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying on social media that “American decisiveness works”.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on all parties to abide by the terms of the ceasefire “to pave the way towards a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region”, his spokesman said.
Terms and tensions
However, key details of the agreement remain unclear, with differing accounts from the parties involved.
US President Donald Trump said he agreed to suspend attacks after Iran proposed what he described as a “workable” plan, before later calling it fraudulent without elaborating.
He had earlier warned that “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”
Iran said ships would be allowed through the strait under military supervision and could be charged fees. A regional official told the Associated Press that both Iran and Oman would collect those fees, with Tehran expected to use the money for reconstruction.
(with newswires)
What we know about Iran’s 10-point plan for ending war with US, Israel
Iran proposed a 10-point plan for ending the war with the US and Israel early Wednesday after the establishment of a two-week ceasefire just before a US-imposed deadline and threats to destroy Iranian "civilisation". US President Donald Trump said the plan was "workable", despite several points which Washington had previously said were unfeasible.
Issued on: 08/04/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Women hold posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a campaign in support of the government at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 14, 2026. © Vahid Salemi, AP
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire barely an hour before President Donald Trump's Wednesday deadline to obliterate the country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire barely an hour before President Donald Trump's Wednesday deadline to obliterate the country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Both sides claimed to have won the more than month-long conflict that has roiled global financial markets and sent oil prices skyrocketing, with Trump telling AFP the deal was a "total and complete victory" for the US.
Iran too cast the ceasefire as a win and said it had agreed to talks with Washington to begin Friday in Pakistan on a path to end the conflict. "The enemy has suffered an undeniable, historic and crushing defeat in its cowardly, illegal and criminal war against the Iranian nation," said a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council. "Iran achieved a great victory."
What's next? Tehran said it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday. Iran has proposed a 10-point plan for securing an end to the war, which Trump said was "workable". But while the plan could form the basis of potential negotiations, it includes several sticking points which Washington has previously said were unfeasible.
Lifting of sanctions, control over Hormuz...
The plan would require "continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of enrichment, lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions", according to a statement released by the Islamic republic.
While the uranium enrichment demand was not included in Tehran's English-language statement shared by the UN, it was part of the Farsi release circulated by Iranian state media.
Other demands include US military withdrawal from the Middle East, an end to attacks on Iran and its allies, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a UN Security Council resolution making the deal binding.
The plan requires:
• The lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions on Iran.
• Continued Iranian control over the strait of Hormuz.
• US military withdrawal from the Middle East.
• An end to attacks on Iran and its allies.
• The release of frozen Iranian assets.
• A UN security council resolution making any deal binding.
In the version released in Farsi, Iran also included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program. But for reasons that remain unclear, that phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.
Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the ceasefire, said it would start immediately, and the capital Islamabad would host delegates from both countries for talks due to begin on Friday. The talks would be aimed at reaching a "conclusive agreement", he said.
Iran said it would allocate two weeks for the negotiations.
The White House was considering talks in Pakistan but plans were not finalised, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
Shipping companies 'see opportunities' but seek clarity on Strait of Hormuz reopening
Copyright AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool
Published on
Major shipping lines express cautious optimism over transit opportunities in the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Iran ceasefire was announced, but stress the urgent need for full clarity before any vessels move.
Reports of the two-week US-Iran ceasefire potentially opening the Strait of Hormuz to vessels after over a month of near-total closure has prompted shipping companies to weigh their options against persistent uncertainties.
The world’s second-largest container shipping operator, Maersk, has taken the lead in responding to the development.
“The ceasefire may create transit opportunities, but it does not yet provide full maritime certainty and we need to understand all potential conditions attached,” the Danish company stated.
Maersk further guaranteed it is "working with urgency" to clarify exactly how ships will be able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following months of severe restrictions.
Decisions on any transits, it emphasised, will depend on continuous risk assessments, close monitoring of the security situation and guidance from authorities and partners.
The German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd has adopted a similarly measured tone.
CEO Rolf Habben-Jansen told clients in a call on Wednesday that it was too early to judge how much traffic would be able to pass through the vital waterway.
Habben-Jansen warned that it would take at least six weeks before the firm could regain a fully normal network, even if some vessels would be able to leave the Gulf fairly soon.
The company estimates that around 1,000 merchant ships remain stuck in the Persian Gulf, six of them belonging to Hapag-Lloyd.
This substantial backlog is expected to make management of any resumption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz significantly harder, while the conflict continues to cost the firm roughly $55 million (€47.5mn) per week.
US President Donald Trump described the reopening as a core requirement of the ceasefire, calling for the "COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING" of the Strait of Hormuz and pledging US support for traffic management.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that, provided attacks on Iran cease, safe passage would be possible for the two-week period via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and taking into account technical limitations.
Regional officials have indicated that both Iran and Oman are expected to charge transit fees on vessels, marking a departure from the maritime chokepoint’s previous status as a toll-free route.
Exact amounts and procedures have not been confirmed publicly.
Other shipping operators monitor developments closely
Other companies such as the Japanese shipping and logistics firm NYK Line have also stated they are closely monitoring the situation following the ceasefire announcement.
With hundreds of vessels idling for weeks, opportunity costs have continued to rise through lost revenue, higher insurance premiums and demurrage charges which are fees levied by operators when a ship remains at a port for longer than the agreed-upon time.
Even limited flows during the temporary window could allow some ships to exit the Gulf and serve alternative routes, thereby reducing those accumulated losses.
However, the requirement for military coordination and the introduction of new fees add further layers of uncertainty and complexity that operators categorically state must be resolved before meaningful operational decisions can be taken.
The situation remains fluid as broader talks are scheduled to begin in Islamabad on Friday with Pakistani authorities acting as mediators.
For the time being, the known facts indicate a tightly regulated, two-week period of access rather than an immediate return to pre-conflict operations.
Shipping companies and energy markets will continue to monitor developments closely for further guidance in the coming days.
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