Apr 09, 2026 13:29 pm IST

Opinion | Deal Or 'Setup'? Why Both US And Iran Think This Ceasefire Is A Trap

A list of suspicions each side has about the other.

Harsh V Pant Harsh V Pant Columnist

Harsh V Pant Columnist

The two-week US-Iran ceasefire represents less a resolution of the ongoing crisis and more a carefully calibrated pause in a rapidly escalating conflict. What began in February 2026 with American and Israeli strikes on Iran has now entered a tenuous phase of de-escalation, driven as much by strategic necessity as by diplomatic opportunity. At its core, the arrangement hinges on a transactional exchange: the suspension of direct US (and Israeli) attacks in return for Iran's immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy flows that Tehran had effectively choked, sending oil markets into turmoil.

The contours of the agreement underscore its provisional nature. A two-week window has been carved out not as an end in itself, but as a diplomatic holding pattern to explore the feasibility of a more durable settlement. Iran's commitment to ensuring safe and uninterrupted passage through Hormuz - reportedly in coordination with its armed forces and with potential revenue-sharing mechanisms involving Oman - sits alongside a US decision to pause offensive operations while retaining the right to defend its interests. This is, in essence, crisis management rather than conflict resolution.

But the substantive gaps between the two sides remain........

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