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Ceasefire frays near Hormuz
A US-Iran ceasefire brokered by Pakistan and activated on April 8 is coming apart as US strikes near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran threatens retaliation, with the latest US military strikes conducted between May 25 and May 28 targeting Iranian missile and drone sites near the strait.
“Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war appear to be gaining momentum, with United States and Iranian negotiators moving closer to a temporary ceasefire agreement even as tensions remain high across the region”
Crypto Briefing says the ceasefire began as a two-week pause after six brutal weeks of military exchanges, and that Pakistan stepped in to mediate a halt to the fighting after the escalation traced back to February 28.
The Strait of Hormuz is described as central to the conflict, with “Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil” passing through the waterway between Iran and Oman, and the US responding with a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports.
Al Jazeera reports that US and Iranian negotiators have moved closer to a temporary ceasefire agreement, with US sources saying they agreed on a preliminary framework for a 60-day ceasefire extension that still requires President Donald Trump’s approval.
Negotiations, mines, and sanctions
Al Jazeera says the proposal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, require Iran to clear mines from the waterway within 30 days, include a pledge not to pursue a nuclear weapon, and open discussions on sanctions relief and frozen Iranian assets.
In Washington, Al Jazeera quotes US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, “will not discuss lifting sanctions on Iran until the Strait of Hormuz reopens and Tehran hands over its highly enriched uranium.”
Reporting from Doha, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid said talks between the US and Iran have entered a “critical phase,” even as attacks continue across the region.
Anadolu Ajansı adds that US sanctions imposed on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) heightened concerns over global oil supply, with Brent crude trading at $94.72 per barrel at 10 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and WTI at $91.13 per barrel.
Retaliation threats and market risk
UPI reports that Iran confirmed early Thursday that the US military attacked Iran, and that Iran announced retaliatory strikes of its own targeting a U.S. air base at about 4:50 a.m. local time as a response to a US strike near Bandar Abbas Airport.
UPI quotes Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps saying the response was “a serious warning so that the enemy knows aggression will not go unanswered,” and that “in the event of a repeat, our response will be more decisive.”
Crypto Briefing warns that if talks collapse and Iran follows through on retaliation threats, energy prices, shipping insurance rates, defense spending, and risk appetite across every major asset class would shift significantly.
Al Jazeera frames the wider regional picture as Kuwait’s military intercepting “hostile” missiles and drones, while Trump said during a cabinet meeting, “nobody is going to control it,” drawing attention to Oman’s role as a mediator in Iran-US talks.
