Mediated by Pakistan, the ceasefire offers a welcome — albeit brief — reprieve that the principal protagonists of the war must use to try to hammer out a larger peace deal. Iran insists that it be allowed to retain control of the Strait of Hormuz and extract fees for transit to recoup losses from the war. Hours after the ceasefire was announced, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain announced that they had been attacked. And Israel launched its biggest bombing of Lebanon since the beginning of the war: Jerusalem insists Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire. Mr Trump might have meant Iran when he threatened to obliterate a civilisation in a recent rant.

Source: The Telegraph April 09, 2026 03:51 UTC