Within hours after ceasefire, Iran says oil refinery attacked

Pakistan on Wednesday invited the US and Iran for talks in Islamabad on Friday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a social media post announced that the US and Iran, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.

“With the greatest humility, 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 said.

Sharif said Pakistan has invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 for face-to-face talks aimed at reaching a conclusive agreement "to settle all disputes”.

The prime minister expressed hope that the proposed “Islamabad Talks” would help achieve sustainable peace and stability in the region.

Iran, in the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan, included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear programme, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.

It wasn't immediately clear why that term was missing.

However, US President Donald Trump had said ending Iran's nuclear programme entirely was a key point of the war.

Trump, after Iran issued its 10-point plan, had described it as fraudulent, without elaborating.

Before the ceasefire, US President Donald Trump's threats of wiping out the “whole civilisation” in Iran drew strong condemnation from Democrat leaders, who called for his “immediate removal” and a push back from some Republicans who hoped and prayed that the remarks were “bluster”.

The calls for the removal of Trump by invoking the 25th Amendment reached a crescendo among Democrats who slammed the US President’s remarks as “unhinged” and amounting to “war crimes”.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson said he does not support Trump’s threats and hoped that the remarks were really bluster.

Pakistan, which brokered ceasefire between US and Iran, says it extends to Israel and Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon.

On the other hand, Israeli military official says the country is still attacking Iran, after White House said Iran agreed to a ceasefire.

US official says the US military has halted all offensive operations against Iran, but continues defensive actions, reports AP.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the National Security Agency together issued the warning on Tuesday, reporting that hackers allied with Iran exploited vulnerabilities in internet-connected devices used to control machinery used in several important sectors.

They offered no details about the attacks but said they were intended to disrupt operations and cause financial harm.

The bulletin urged any US entity that uses the controllers to check their cyber defences.

A number of cyberattacks targeting US and Israeli entities have been attributed to pro-Iran hackers since US-Israeli strikes began. Authorities say critical infrastructure like ports and water plants could be targeted by Iranian hackers or independent groups working on their behalf.

Oil prices plunged and US stock futures jumped after President Donald Trump said he would hold off on his threat of devastating attacks on Iran for two weeks if the Iranians agree to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Futures for US crude oil sank 18% to around $92.60 while Brent crude oil futures fell about 6% to $103.40.

Both prices remain well above where they were at the start of the war. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 2.4%. Trump said Iran has proposed a “workable” 10-point peace plan that could help end war the US and Israel launched on Feb 28.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates both sounded missile alerts early Wednesday, despite Iran and the United States saying they had reached a two-week ceasefire in the war. Israel claimed it detected an incoming Iranian missile barrage.

Missile alerts also continued in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait early Wednesday, hinting at the chaos surrounding the diplomatic moves. Abu Dhabi officials said its Habshan gas-processing facility was ablaze.

Throughout the war, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has called the shots in all decisions. Individual commanders have made decisions on what to strike and when, with the nation's political leadership sidelined.

Whether they agreed to stop shooting with the declared ceasefire and negotiations being planned in Islamabad remained in question.

However, many Mideast wars see combatants launch last-minute attacks to be able to claim victory with their populations.

China, which is Tehran's biggest trade partner, reportedly spoke with the Iranians to get them on board to look for a path towards a ceasefire in the war with the US.

Chinese officials were in touch with Iranian officials as the negotiations were evolving, AP quoted two officials who were not authorised to comment publicly as speaking on condition of anonymity.

Beijing primarily had been working with intermediaries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as it tried to use its influence, said one of the officials.

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier Tuesday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said, “All parties need to demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place.” She said China was “deeply concerned” about the impact the conflict has on the world economy and energy security.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says it has accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war and its foreign minister says passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be allowed over the next two weeks under Iranian military management, reports AP.

The US has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran proposed by Pakistan, US President Donald Trump announced 90 minutes before his deadline to “wipe out” civilisation from the West Asian nation was to end.

Trump made the dramatic announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday evening (US time) even as Democrats called for his removal over unhinged threats to wipe out the Iranian civilisation.

“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” the US President said in a social media post.

“I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said, adding that this will be a double-sided ceasefire.

In Tehran, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war and that it would negotiate with the US in Islamabad beginning Friday.

Trump also shared on his Truth Social account Iranian Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi’s statement confirming the ceasefire deal with the US.

“If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations,” the Iranian foreign minister said in the statement, adding that, for the next two weeks, passage through the Strait of Hormuz “will be possible”, in coordination with Iran’s military.

In Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif extended an invitation to the delegations of the US and Iran to Islamabad on Friday (April 10) to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.

In the social media post, Trump said the US has received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he believed was a workable basis on which to negotiate.

He said that the two-week ceasefire period would be used to negotiate a larger agreement to potentially end the war.

“The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump said.

“We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate,” he said.

Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the US and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the agreement to be finalised and consummated, the president said.

“On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honour to have this long-term problem close to resolution,” Trump said.

The US launched the war on Iran on February 28 over Tehran's refusal to give up its stockpile of nuclear fuel.