The United States and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire, according to reports from Pakistani and Iranian sources cited by RIA Novosti. An official announcement confirming the agreement is expected to be issued in the coming days.
Under the preliminary terms of the agreement, free navigation will be ensured through the Strait of Hormuz. Technical meetings and negotiations are set to begin between the two countries, building upon the Islamabad Memorandum.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime passage for global energy shipping located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, has served as a venue for diplomatic coordination in regional affairs.
United States stance and tactical shift
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated to several foreign counterparts that Washington does not plan to launch new strikes against Iran at the moment, an American official told reporters.
The remarks indicate that US President Donald Trump is tired of the war and wants to bring it to an end. White House officials indicated that the administration will focus its efforts on non-military pressure tactics rather than carrying out further armed attacks against the Islamic Republic.
The shift follows an announcement by President Trump on 20 August 2026, when he declared the start of a new crushing economic operation against Iran. Trump characterized the measures as economic warfare designed to impose an unprecedented scale of international isolation.
Iranian rejection of American pressure
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei rejected the new American measures, stating that no self-respecting nation would support the economic operation launched by Washington against Tehran.
Baghaei said that when a bully demands that every bank, company, port, and government choose between complying with Washington demands or facing American retaliation, the issue extends beyond Iran. He added that no state valuing its sovereignty would accept the normalization of such widespread lawlessness, asserting that the United States is violating fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
The United Nations Charter forms the foundational treaty of the international organization, establishing rules regarding national sovereignty and prohibiting the unauthorized use of force between states.
Economic preparedness and parliamentary response
Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh emphasized that the authorities in Tehran had prepared for a potential tightening of American sanctions. He noted that the new restrictions did not catch the country by surprise.
Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Iran commercial partners do not take the statements from the United States leadership seriously.
Ghalibaf added that external partners no longer believe what he described as empty American rhetoric. He argued that the current economic position of the United States prevents Washington from further restricting its economic relations with other nations.
