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Informist, Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

MUMBAI – The US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire in order to negotiate a definitive agreement for peace between the warring parties and in West Asia, according to various statements on social media by top officials. The ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and top general Asim Munir, with negotiations to begin in Islamabad from Friday. 

"We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate," US President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social. "Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated."

The agreement came hours ahead of Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, at 0530 IST. In a social media post Tuesday, Trump had said, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." The conflict in West Asia began after the US and Israel bombed Tehran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini on Feb. 28. Since then, the threat of Iranian attack has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which around a fifth of the world's crude oil usually transits.

Iranian media said Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khameini, had agreed to the ceasefire. However, there has been no public statement from Israel on the matter so far. While Trump claimed to represent the countries of West Asia, no official statement has been made by those nations, most affected by retaliatory attacks by Iran to US and Israeli bombing.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the negotiations would be based on the US' 15-point proposal as well, with Trump having accepted the general framework of Iran's 10-point proposal. 

"If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations," Araghchi said on X, formerly Twitter, speaking on behalf of Iran's National Security Council. "For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations."

Brent crude futures for June delivery traded at $95 a barrel at 0630 IST, after settling at $109.27 a barrel Tuesday. Asian stock markets surged in response to the news, with Japan's Nikkei up 4.3%. India's equity indices and the rupee are expected to rise sharply at open, while bond yields are likely to fall sharply.  End

US$1 = INR 93.01

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

Reported by Aaryan Khanna

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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