PM reacts to Iranian pledge to reopen Hormuz during ceasefire
Iran’s foreign minister says ships will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz over the next two weeks with the Prime Minister sharing his reaction.
Source: XÂ
US President Donald Trump says he has agreed âto a two-week ceasefire with Iran, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face widespread attacks on its civilian âinfrastructure.
And Iranâs Supreme National Security Council said it had accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war and it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan, beginning on Friday.
âIt is emphasised that this does not signify the termination of the war,â the councilâs statement said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Sky News the statements were positive news and he hoped it would lead to a permanent de-escalation and an end to the conflict.
âWeâve been calling for a de-escalation for some time. We want to see a resolution of the conflict. The potential of damage to civilian infrastructure in Iran was an extraordinary statement to make. And then also, the impact that would have arisen from an escalation with an Iranian response would have led to greater global economic damage,â Albanese said.
âWeâre already seeing a substantial impact of a war which is on the other side of the world, but is having an impact on Australians here, like it is on citizens throughout the world.â
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Iranâs Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a statement that for a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible via coordination with Iranâs Armed Forces and âwith due consideration of technical limitationsâ.
Iranian state TV flashed an announcement saying Trump had accepted Iranâs terms for ending the war, describing it as a âhumiliating retreatâ by the US president.
Trumpâs announcement on social media represented an abrupt turnaround from earlier, when Trump issued an extraordinary warning that âa whole civilisation will die tonightâ if his demands were not met.
Trump said the last-minute deal, negotiated with Pakistan serving as a mediator, was subject to Iranâs agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the strait, which typically handles about one-fifth of global oil shipments.
âThis will be a double âsided CEASEFIRE!â Trump wrote âon his Truth Social platform less than two hours before his deadline of 8pm EDT Tuesday (10am AEST Wednesday).
âThe â reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are âvery far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.â
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Two White House officials confirmed Israel has also agreed to the two-week ceasefire and to suspend its bombing campaign on Iran. A few minutes after Trumpâs announcement, the Israeli military said it identified missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.
Trump, who has issued a series of threats in recent weeks only to back away, claimed progress between the two sides.
He said Iran had presented a 10-point proposal that â was a âworkable basisâ for negotiations and he expected an agreement to be âfinalised and consummatedâ âduring the two-week âceasefire.
The abrupt turnaround capped a whirlwind day that was dominated by Trumpâs threat to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran unless Tehran reopened the âstrait, which unnerved world âleaders, rattled global financial and energy markets and drew widespread condemnation, including criticism from the head of the United Nations and Pope Leo.
As the clock âticked down to Trumpâs deadline, US and Israeli strikes on Iran intensified, hitting railway and road bridges, an airport and a petrochemical plant. US forces attacked targets on Kharg Island, home to Iranâs main oil export terminal.
In response, Iran declared it would no longer hold back from âhitting âits Gulf neighboursâ infrastructure and said it had carried out fresh âstrikes on a ship in the Gulf and a huge Saudi petrochemical complex.
Booms âwere heard in Doha late on Tuesday night, according to a Reuters witness in the Qatari capital.
The war, now in its sixth week, has claimed more than 5000 lives in nearly a dozen countries, including more than 1600 civilians in Iran, according to tallies from government sources and human rights groups.
The closure of the strait, through which almost a fifth of the worldâs oil supply typically travels, has sharply increased oil prices, escalating the chances of a global economic downturn or even recession.
With the âUS midterm election campaign ramping up, Trumpâs approval ratings have hit their lowest level ever, leaving his Republican Party at risk of losing its grip âon Congress.
Polls show sizeable majorities of Americans â opposed to the war and frustrated by the rising cost of petrol.
-with AP
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