Dubai, 8 April

Iran, the United States and Israel said they reached a deal for a two-week ceasefire, with Tehran saying it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday.

Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan, but he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating.

Trump's threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran hit a new extreme hours before the ceasefire when he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," if Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it supports Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that it doesn't include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where more than 1,500 people have been killed.

Israel's military said Wednesday it “continues fighting and ground operations” in its war against the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

The military issued a statement acknowledging the war continued, even after mediator Pakistan said Israel would halt its attacks as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war.

Israel separately acknowledged strikes into Iran up to the ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said Israel would honour the Iran ceasefire while continuing to fight Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has not offered any statement yet.

What US wants

Israel was told the US is committed to removing Iran's nuclear material and missile threat in upcoming negotiations, a senior Israeli official said.

Senior Trump officials told Israel that the US “will firmly insist on removing the nuclear material, stopping enrichment, eliminating the threat of ballistic missiles, and more” during talks expected to take place in the next two weeks, the official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed diplomatic conversations, described the conditions as “shared goals of Israel and the US”.

There was little indication in public statements and proposals about the ceasefire that Iran and the US had resolved disagreements over Iran's nuclear programme.

The official said the US coordinated the ceasefire with Israel in advance and credited “the massive crushing of the regime's infrastructure” with securing the agreement.

UAE suspends production at gas facility

The United Arab Emirates announced it would suspend production at the Habshan gas complex.

The Abu Dhabi media office said falling debris from an interception of an attack caused three multiple fires at the facility. Two Emirates and an Indian suffered minor injuries, the office said.

Meanehile, Oman Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi said his country, which has long mediated between Iran and the US, will provide support to negotiations following the two-week ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran.

Al-Busaidi said serious negotiations are required to establish a lasting regional peace.

“For now the world has stepped back from disaster,” he wrote on X. “But there's no room for complacency.”

Middle East and Europe on ceasefire

Diplomats in the Middle East and Europe are offering assessments of the two-week ceasefire and the work that remains ahead.

Anwar Gargash, an adviser to United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said his country has to manage a “complex regional landscape”.

Gargash argued on social media that the UAE will have “greater leverage, sharper insight, and a more solid capacity to influence and shape the future”.

The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, described the ceasefire in the war in the Middle East as a “step back from the brink”.

The agreement has created “a much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart shipping”. Kallas wrote on X. “The Strait of Hormuz must be open for passage again.”

African Union head on ceasefire

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, said the ceaseire between the United States, Israel and Iran presents a critical opportunity to ease the suffering of populations affected directly and indirectly by the war.

Youssouf said the agreement reflects commendable leadership and a shared commitment to the de-escalation that the union has consistently called for.

He added that diplomacy guided by the United Nations Charter remains the only viable path to resolving international crises.