Dubai/Tehran

Iran,the United States and Israel reached a tentative, two-week ceasefire Wednesday in the war that tore across the Middle East and disrupted the global energy market, with US President Donald Trump pulling back from his threats to destroy Iranian "civilization." But questions emerged over what appeared to be dueling proposals to halt the fighting, with Iran insisting it would control and charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as well as enrich uranium. Trump initially said Iran proposed a "workable" 10-point plan that could help end the war he launched with Israel on Feb. 28. But he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating. Trump has said ending Iran's nuclear program entirely was a key point of the war. Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday it doesn't cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which continued through the morning. That contradicted comments from Pakistan, a key mediator that said talks over cementing a peace plan would begin as soon as Friday in Islamabad. Pakistan also said the ceasefire began immediately, while Iran launched attacks on Gulf Arab states and Israel soon after.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed Tehran's participation in Pakistan-facilitated peace talks with the US in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday.. The talks will be held on Friday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management. It wasn't clear whether that meant Iran would completely loosen its chokehold on the waterway

Trump in a social media post declared the ceasefire agreement a "big day for World Peace" and that the US "will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz." "There will be lots of positive action!" Trump predicted in his post. "Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We'll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just hangin' around' in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will." Trump's message on his Truth Social website signals Washington's concern about Iran maintaining its chokehold over the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which 20% of all oil and natural gas passes in peacetime.

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".

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday claimed that Tehran begged for a truce.

Trump warned that any nation providing military weapons to Iran will face an immediate 50 percent tariff on all goods exported to the United States.