An uneasy ceasefire has held between USA-Israel and Iran over a month. But the air in the Middle East smells of gunpowder. American fighter jets are not continuously bombing Iran; Iranian missiles are not pounding American bases. But there has been frantic diplomacy to bring two implacable enemies to the table. However, nothing has been resolved.

After a seven-week US air campaign codenamed Operation Epic Fury and Israel’s Roaring Lion, the US launched a naval blockade of Iranian ports from 13 April 2026. Tehran responded with the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz cutting off 20 per cent of the world's oil supply. By early April, both sides pulled back from full-scale conflict. A two-week ceasefire was reached on 8 April 2026. Then the US extended the ceasefire indefinitely at Pakistan’s request, the White House said.