What we know
• 11th hour deal: Both President Donald Trump and Iran have portrayed the last minute ceasefire deal as a victory for their nations. The ceasefire pauses a spiraling conflict that has upended the global economy and sparked a historic oil crisis.
• Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s military will coordinate passage of vessels through the critical Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire, Iran’s foreign minister said. Trump said reopening the strait was a key condition of the ceasefire deal.
• What happens next? Pakistan’s prime minister has invited delegations from both Iran and the US to Islamabad for talks on Friday. Earlier Tuesday, Pakistan proposed the two-week ceasefire to allow for diplomacy.
• Lebanon not included: Israel said it would suspend strikes against Iran but claimed Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
If Iran's plan is to charge Hormuz tolls, what happens to the US Navy's 5th Fleet?
Two of Iran’s demands coming out of the ceasefire deal that were published in statements from the Supreme National Security Council and in state media raise questions about the continued US Navy presence in the Middle East.
One, Tehran wants to levy tolls on ships going through the Strait of Hormuz; and two, it apparently wants US combat forces out of the region.
A key question is, would tolls apply warships?
The US Navy’s 5th Fleet, US Naval Forces Central Command, is headquartered in Bahrain, inside the Persian Gulf.
The 5th Fleet is responsible for 2.5 million square miles of water area, including the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Besides the Strait of Hormuz, 5th Fleet also oversees the key maritime chokepoints of the Suez Canal at the north end of the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the south end.
“If toll is to be paid, clearly that undermines US military access to the (Persian) Gulf,” said Collin Koh, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
“Unless Trump is intending for CENTCOM to completely overhaul its posture in the Middle East Gulf region, I don’t see how this toll system can hold,” Koh said.
The US and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire. Here’s the latest
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, with countries around the world welcoming the news.
The ceasefire is a starting point for further negotiations, and it remains to be seen what final terms may be included in any proposal to definitively end the war.
Here’s the latest:
- Trump’s announcement: Trump said he agreed to the ceasefire on the condition that Iran agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had put forward a 10-point proposal, which Trump views as “a workable basis on which to negotiate,” while a final agreement will be drawn up in the next two weeks. He called the ceasefire a “total and complete victory” and said the US would be “helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz.”
- Israel’s agreement: Israel said it is part of the ceasefire and will also stop bombing Iran. But it claimed Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire –– contradicting Pakistan’s prime minister, who had presented the ceasefire proposal to Trump.
- Tehran’s response: Iran’s foreign minister said the country would cease its operations if attacks against Iran stop, and that Iran’s military will coordinate safe passage through the strait. The ceasefire is being presented as a victory in Iran, with the Iran’s Supreme National Security Council saying it had forced the US to accept its 10-point plan.
- Iran’s plan: The 10-point proposal included regulating passage through the Strait of Hormuz; the end of attacks on Iran and its proxies; the withdrawal of US forces from the region; compensation to Iran; the lifting of international sanctions and unfreezing of assets; and a binding UN resolution to secure any ultimate peace deal, according to the national security council’s statement, which was reported by Iranian state media and obtained by CNN from Iranian officials. Versions of the statement that were widely distributed by Iranian state media also included that the US has agreed in principle to accept Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.
- Trump’s 15-point plan: While the US has accepted Iran’s plan as a starting point, Tehran is also still considering Washington’s 15-point proposal. These demands are believed to include: Iran committing to no nuclear weapons, handing over its highly enriched uranium, limits on Tehran’s defense capabilities, an end to regional proxy groups and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Talks in Pakistan: The Trump administration is preparing for potential in-person negotiations, likely in Islamabad on Friday –– where Pakistan’s prime minister has invited both sides to send delegations.
- Lebanon strikes: An airstrike killed eight people in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel’s military also issued an “urgent” evacuation warning to residents of the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre on Wednesday, specifically in the Shabraha neighborhood of Al-Abassiya.
No quick relief on jet fuel supply or prices, air transport group chief says
Jet fuel supplies are likely to remain tight for months even if Iran opens up the Strait of Hormuz quickly, the director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Wednesday, according to a Reuters report.
Crude oil prices fell sharply on the announcement of the US-Iran ceasefire deal, which includes a plan to allow oil tankers through the strait, but neither the price drop or the opening of the waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil supply flows, will mean immediate relief for the aviation industry, IATA chief Willie Wilson told reporters in Singapore.
That’s because refineries need to get back up to speed, Walsh said.
Since the US and Israel went to war with Iran in late February, the world has confronted a historic oil crisis and jet fuel prices have doubled. Airlines have responded by raising fuel surcharges added to tickets and in some cases cancelling or scaling back services.
Economies in Asia, including key US allies, have been hit particularly hard by the oil crisis because they are especially dependent on energy imports from the Middle East.
Blast seen in Lebanese city of Tyre after Israel issues evacuation order
A large blast was seen in the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre, according to footage from Reuters news agency, shortly after Israel’s military issued an “urgent” evacuation warning to residents.
”To ensure your safety, evacuate your homes at once and move to the north of the Zahrani River,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson said in a post to Telegram. The IDF said it was targeting Hezbollah in the area.
Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office said earlier.
World has "stepped back from disaster," Oman says
International reaction to the US and Iran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire is trickling in.
- Oman Foreign Minster Badr Albusaidi, a key interlocutor, said “the world has stepped back from disaster. But there’s no room for complacency,” on X. He added that Oman will support the next phase of “serious negotiations.”
- Iraq’s foreign ministry said it “values this development as one that could contribute to reducing tensions, enhancing opportunities for de-escalation, and reinforcing security and stability in the region.”
- European leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the ceasefire agreement. Starmer said: “Together with our partners we must do all we can to support and sustain this ceasefire, turn it into a lasting agreement and re-open the Strait of Hormuz.”
- Egypt called the ceasefire “a positive step toward de-escalation and the containment of regional tensions.”
- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the announcement was “positive news,” telling Sky News Australia that he hopes it “leads to a permanent de-escalation and end to the conflict.” Albanese also criticized Trump’s earlier rhetoric, saying “the potential of damage to civilian infrastructure in Iran was an extraordinary statement to make.”
- Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said: “What is most important now is that the situation genuinely de-escalates, including ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
- The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on “all parties to comply with their obligations” and “abide by the terms” of the deal, according to a statement from his spokesperson.
CNN’s Angus Watson, Todd Symons, Aqeel Najim and Ibrahim Dahman contributed reporting
Hours after US-Iran ceasefire announced, shipping data shows little movement in Strait of Hormuz
Shipping data shows little movement in the Strait of Hormuz more than six hours after the US and Iran announced a ceasefire, with one analyst warning vessels and insurers would need to see further positive signs before resuming traffic through the vital waterway.
“The ceasefire is a necessary first step, but it does not mean commercial shipping immediately normalizes through the international traffic lanes in the Strait,” said Charlie Brown, Senior Advisor of Dark Fleet Tracking at United Against Nuclear Iran and a former US Navy officer.
“Shipowners are still waiting for authoritative guidance from naval security channels, flag states, and, critically, marine war-risk insurers before sending vessels back into the strait,” Brown added.
“The real signal to watch is the ‘first movers’ –– the earliest vessels willing to test the route. If those transits are completed safely, confidence will build quickly and the broader watch-and-wait cohort will follow.”
Iran has attacked at least 19 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, since the start of the war. The almost six week blockage of the waterway has choked crude supplies to the rest of the world and tanked global markets.
On Wednesday morning, Iran’s foreign minister said “safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces.” Iran and Oman will charge ships to pass through the strait during the ceasefire period, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency has said.
Airstrike in southern Lebanon kills eight
An airstrike in the Sidon area of southern Lebanon early Wednesday killed eight people and wounded 22 others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
A drone hit a car which was parked along a seaside promenade in Sidon in front of two crowded cafes, torching the car and destroying the cafes, according to Lebanon’s state-owned National News Agency (NNA).
Another strike, on Lebanon’s Hiram Hospital, caused extensive damage to the building, including patient rooms and the hospital entrance, NNA reported.
Hezbollah said it launched 52 attacks on Israeli army positions in Lebanon and Israel yesterday, and two attacks so far today.
Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement between the US, Israel and Iran which was announced Tuesday, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Israel’s position is contrary to a statement from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped broker the deal between the US and Iran, that said the agreement included Lebanon.
At least 1,530 people have been killed, including 130 children, and thousands more have been wounded in Lebanon since the war began, the country’s health ministry said Tuesday.
Pro-Iran militia in Iraq to halt attacks during ceasefire
A group of Iranian proxy militias in Iraq have said they will suspend their military operations in the region for two weeks, the length of the ceasefire agreement between the US, Israel and Iran.
The Iraqi resistance group, which represents a number of pro-Iranian factions behind a series of attacks on US-linked targets in Iraq during the war, announced the pause on their Telegram channel Wednesday morning.
Supporters of the Iraqi armed militias celebrated the US-Iran deal in the capital Baghdad on Wednesday, raising flags of the resistance on their cars in Tahrir Square.
Iran has cultivated a network of proxy militia groups in Iraq over many years. In recent weeks, the groups have targeted US diplomats and facilities in Iraq, including the embassy in Baghdad which was struck by several drones.
Militia group Kataib Hezbollah kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson in Iraq last month. She has since been released, US and Iraqi officials said Tuesday.
Iran's uranium will be "perfectly taken care of," says Trump
US President Donald Trump said Iran’s uranium will be “perfectly taken care of” in an interview with AFP news agency Tuesday following the ceasefire announcement.
Some context: Iran’s large stockpile of highly enriched uranium – a core component needed to build a nuclear weapon – has been a major concern during the war. US officials told the Wall Street Journal last month Trump was weighing a military operation to extract the uranium, though no decision had been made.
“That will be perfectly taken care of or I wouldn’t have settled,” Trump told AFP Tuesday, without giving more details.
Trump says US will help with “traffic buildup” through Hormuz strait
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the US will be “helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” just hours after announcing a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran contingent on the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING” of the critical waterway.
“There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social just after midnight. “Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will.”
Trump also celebrated: “A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else!”
Background: Earlier, Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week period “will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil typically travels, has largely stalled since the start of the war.
Trump has previously floated the possibility of joint US-Iranian control of the strait, telling CNN last month, “It’ll be jointly controlled. Me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is, whoever the next Ayatollah is.”
Trump claims "total and complete victory" following ceasefire deal
President Donald Trump said the US had won a “total and complete victory” after striking a two-week ceasefire deal with Iran.
“Total and complete victory. 100 percent. No question about it,” he said in an interview with AFP news agency Tuesday.
Trump would not say whether he planned to fulfill his prior threats to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure if Tehran reneged on the agreement.
“You’re going to have to see,” Trump told AFP.
Trump believes China helped get Iran to negotiate ceasefire
President Donald Trump said he believes China helped get Iran to negotiate a ceasefire, AFP news agency reported.
“I hear yes,” Trump said in a telephone call when asked by AFP if Beijing had been involved in pushing Tehran – a key ally – to negotiate on a truce.
Asked for comment on reports Beijing had nudged Iran towards the ceasefire, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington told CNN that since the conflict began China had “been working to help bring about a ceasefire and end to the conflict.”
“China welcomes all efforts conducive to peace,” Liu Pengyu told CNN.
“We hope relevant parties will seize the opportunity for peace, bridge differences through dialogue and put an early end to the conflict.”
CNN has reached out to China’s foreign affairs ministry for comment.
Beijing previously played a key part in brokering a rapprochement between Iran and longtime rival Saudi Arabia in 2023. And Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s alternative vision for international security includes Beijing as a mediator.
Simone McCarthy contributed reporting
Israel says ceasefire deal does not include Lebanon
Lebanon is not part of the two-week ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
“Israel supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office Wednesday
“The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” it added.
Israel’s position is contrary to a statement from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped broker the deal between the US and Iran, that said the agreement included Lebanon. US President Donald Trump made no mention of Lebanon in his statement.
The statement from Netanyahu’s office are the first comments from Israel’s leader since the ceasefire was announced.
Some context: Alongside its war on Iran with the US, Israel has been conducting a major military campaign in southern Lebanon in early March, targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. At least 1,530 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2, Lebanon’s health ministry said Tuesday, including 130 children.
Iran has issued multiple statements regarding the ceasefire. Here's what they say
Iranian officials have released multiple statements in both Farsi and English following the breakthrough announcement of a two week ceasefire with the United States.
Here’s what they say:
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi released a statement on X that declared: “If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations.”
Araghchi said that the country’s military will coordinate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire. He also said Iran was considering the 15-point proposal of the United States and said that Washington had accepted “the general framework” of Iran’s own 10-point proposal “as a basis for negotiations.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the country’s top security body, released a more fiery statement that confirmed the ceasefire but also portrayed the agreement as a victory.
“We convey glad tidings to the great nation of Iran that nearly all of the war’s objectives have been achieved, and your valiant sons have driven the enemy into a state of historic helplessness and enduring defeat,” the statement read.
The statement was obtained by CNN from Iranian officials and reported on by multiple Iranian state media outlets.
The security council statement said talks between the US and Iran would take place in Islamabad and laid out key parts of the Tehran’s 10-point plan. It included regulating passage through the Strait of Hormuz; terminating attacks on Iran and its regional proxy forces, the withdrawal of US forces from the region, compensation to Iran, the lifting of international sanctions and unfreezing of assets as well as and a binding UN resolution to secure any ultimate peace deal.
“Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force,” the council warned.
Versions of the security council’s statement that were widely distributed by Iranian state media in both Farsi and in English also included that the US has agreed in principle to accept Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.
Iran’s embassy in India also posted a breakdown of the 10 points on its verified X account that included “acceptance of enrichment”. CNN has reached out to Iran’s foreign ministry for comment.
For context: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is the primary body tasked with overseeing Iran’s national security interests and protecting its Islamic revolution. It is stacked with senior figures from the country’s security, military, and clerical establishment.
Iran and Oman to charge ships passing through Hormuz strait during ceasefire, state media reports
Iran and Oman plan to charge transit fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week ceasefire, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The funds will be earmarked for reconstruction, Tasnim reported.
CNN has asked Oman’s foreign ministry for comment.
The strait has been effectively closed since the war began, with maritime tracking data showing that only about 5% of the pre-war volume of shipping is getting through. Some tankers have been able to pass through; for instance, Pakistan and India have negotiated with Iran for guaranteed passage of some of their flagged vessels.
Iran has reportedly been charging up to $2 million per vessel for passage trough Hormuz. It’s unclear if any ship operators have paid the fee.
White House calls two-week ceasefire "a victory for the United States"
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the two-week ceasefire “a victory for the United States,” as she touted the US military’s efforts in the war with Iran.
“We have achieved and exceeded our core military objectives in 38 days,” she said on social media. “The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace. Additionally, President Trump got the Strait of Hormuz reopened.”
“Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace,” Leavitt added.
US, Israeli flags burned in Tehran as Iranians express skepticism over ceasefire
Iranians gathered in the streets of Tehran in the pre-dawn darkness on Wednesday after the ceasefire was announced –– though several voiced skepticism about the agreement.
Videos from the scene show some people burning American and Israeli flags, an action often seen at pro-regime rallies in Iran. Others waved the Iranian flag and held photos of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and his slain father, former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranians gathered in the streets of Tehran after a ceasefire was announced, with some voicing skepticism about the agreement.
“America has shown itself a hundred times till now, we have gone to the negotiation table twice when it attacked us, said one woman at the scene, according to Reuters. She added that the US could use this ceasefire to “re-power itself.”
“Is the nature of America going to change? I have no idea why they have accepted … like always, they want to buy time for Israel,” she said.
Another woman questioned why Iran should declare a ceasefire, and why it should reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
In recent weeks, senior Iranian regime figures have repeatedly voiced their reluctance to trust the US in negotiations in public statements, pointing out that Iran had been attacked while it was negotiating with Washington when the war began – and when the 12-day conflict broke out last year.
Trump derides Iran statement claiming victory and outlining 10-point plan as a “fraud”
President Donald Trump tonight derided a statement from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council that claimed victory in the ceasefire deal as a “FRAUD,” attacking CNN for reporting on it.
The statement, which said Iran achieved a great victory and forced the United States to accept its 10-point plan as a basis for negotiations, was obtained by CNN from Iranian officials and reported on multiple Iranian state media outlets.
“The alleged Statement put out by CNN World News is a FRAUD, as CNN well knows,” Trump wrote. “The false Statement was linked to a Fake News site (from Nigeria) and, of course, immediately picked up by CNN, and blared out as a ‘legitimate’ headline.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is the primary body tasked with overseeing Iran’s national security interests and protecting its Islamic revolution. It is stacked with senior figures from the country’s security, military, and clerical establishment. Until recently it was headed by Ali Larijani, a top security official who was assassinated last month by Israel and was a key architect of the country’s military and diplomatic strategy since the start of the conflict with the US and Israel.
Trump pointed instead to another, shorter statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, which did not claim victory and confirmed passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be safe for the next two weeks.
Asian markets surge on ceasefire news
Equity markets in Asia, the first to open since the announcement of the two-week ceasefire, jumped on Wednesday morning, while oil prices plummeted, as investors wait to see if Iran will lift its effective blockade in the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei 225 surged 4.9% as of 10:41 am local time, while South Korea’s Kospi gained 5.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 2.8%.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures plunged more than 13% after hours to less than $98 a barrel - a significant drop, but still well above the $67.02 settled on February 27, before the war began. Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, declined 12.78% to $95.31.
But analysts warned that uncertainty remained over the extent of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil traffic usually travels. Questions are also swirling over whether proposed US-Iran talks will lead to a durable end to the war.
Graham says Congress would need to approve the proposal to end war
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest advocates for military action in Iran, said that Congress will have to approve any proposal to end the war.
“As to an Iranian ten point proposal to end the war, I look forward to reviewing it at the appropriate time and its submission to Congress for a vote, like we did with the Obama JCPOA,” Graham posted on X, referring to the United States’ 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.
“I want to reaffirm that from my point of view, every ounce of the approximately 900 lbs. of highly enriched uranium has to be controlled by the U.S. and removed from Iran to prevent them in the future from having a dirty bomb or returning to the enrichment business,” Graham added.
The White House has not detailed what the 10-point plan consists of, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a “workable basis to negotiate.”
“We must remember that the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by Iran after the start of the war, destroying freedom of navigation. Going forward, it is imperative Iran is not rewarded for this hostile act against the world,” Graham said.
Later, the South Carolina Republican posted that he prefers “diplomacy if it leads to the right outcome regarding the Iranian terrorist regime.”
“At this early stage, I am extremely cautious regarding what is fact vs. fiction or misrepresentation. That’s why a congressional review process like the one the Senate followed to test the Obama Iranian deal is a sound way forward,” he said.
