TOI correspondent from Washington: In a sudden pivot that pulled the world back from the precipice of an apocalyptic strike, the United States and Iran have entered a fragile two-week ceasefire after days of escalating strikes and threats, offering a narrow window for diplomacy to achieve Middle East peace amid residual mistrust and skepticism.
The truce, announced by US President Donald Trump just two hours before his 8:00 PM deadline to "erase Iranian civilization," marks a welcome -- if chaotic -- de-escalation in a month-long conflict that has seen global oil prices soar by 60% and the world economy getting increasingly edgy. Questions remain though about whether the ceasefire, stitched together through a mix of public signalling and backchannel contacts, is a genuine turning point or merely an interlude in a volatile confrontation.
