Initial agreement between Washington and Tehran to extend the ceasefire

The Associated Press, citing responsible sources, reported on Wednesday that the United States and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to extend the ceasefire, paving the way for discussions on a permanent peace formula to end the repercussions of the 40-day military conflict in the region.

The agency quoted officials, who asked not to be identified, as saying that “Washington and Tehran have given initial approval to extend the truce in order to give diplomatic efforts an additional chance to reach sustainable solutions.”

The two sides had announced on April 8 that they had reached a two-week truce, followed by a round of negotiations in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, but it ended without tangible results.

Although the resumption of combat operations has not been officially announced, the field situation remains tense following the imposition of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports, which makes extending the truce a critical step to prevent the region from sliding into a new round of confrontation.

Shafaq.com