-- Markets hailed a two-week pause in hostilities between the US and Iran, though analysts raised questions about the durability of the truce, with ceasefire violations already making headlines.
Global equity markets rallied Wednesday and oil prices plunged below $100 per barrel following an agreement between Washington and Tehran to pause their military conflict that had spread across the Middle East.
Trump, who had set an 8 pm ET deadline on Tuesday for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, agreed to suspend planned attacks on Iran for two weeks upon Pakistan's request. Tehran said it would allow "safe passage" through the key trading route, subject to coordination with Iranian authorities.
"While markets are hailing the agreement as cause for celebration, it remains to be seen if the ceasefire will hold, and if flows resume through the Strait of Hormuz," Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza said in a report.
Reports about ceasefire violations kept investors on the edge, signifying the possible fragile nature of the pact.
Iran halted oil tanker traffic through the waterway after Israel attacked Lebanon, CNN reported, citing semi-official news agency Fars. Separately, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reportedly said they were targeted with Iranian drones and missiles.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who along with Field Marshal Asim Munir helped broker the truce, said in a post on X that ceasefire violations "undermine the spirit of peace process."
"The ceasefire effectively halts imminent large-scale strikes and creates space for negotiations, but it does not resolve the underlying conflict or infrastructure damage," said Suvro Sarkar, head of energy, renewables and infra research at DBS Bank, said. "Two weeks is a very narrow window, and the structural damage to supply chains runs deep."
The focus shifts to Iran's 10-point proposal to the US, which includes the lifting of sanctions against Iran, recognition of Iran's enrichment program and continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to media reports.
"If this is truly the basis of negotiation, talks will likely be difficult as some (of) these terms, particularly control of the strait, are likely unpalatable for regional powers with it being reported that Iran still intends to charge a toll for passage," Tudor Pickering Holt analyst Matt Portillo said in a note e-mailed to.