LIVE | US, Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire; Iran to open Hormuz; Israel says Lebanon not covered

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel backs US ceasefire with Iran but that deal doesn't cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, reports AP.

Pro-government demonstrators in the streets of Iran's capital Wednesday morning after the ceasefire had been announced screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!”

Organisers tried at a point to calm demonstrators, but they continued the chants. They also burned American and Israeli flags in the street.

It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptical battle with the US.

Pakistan on Wednesday invited the US and Iran for talks in Islamabad on Friday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a social media post announced that the US and Iran, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.

“With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately," he said.

Sharif said Pakistan has invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 for face-to-face talks aimed at reaching a conclusive agreement "to settle all disputes”.

The prime minister expressed hope that the proposed “Islamabad Talks” would help achieve sustainable peace and stability in the region.

Iran, in the Farsi-language version of its 10-point ceasefire plan, included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear programme, something that was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.

It wasn't immediately clear why that term was missing.

However, US President Donald Trump had said ending Iran's nuclear programme entirely was a key point of the war.

Trump, after Iran issued its 10-point plan, had described it as fraudulent, without elaborating.

Before the ceasefire, US President Donald Trump's threats of wiping out the “whole civilisation” in Iran drew strong condemnation from Democrat leaders, who called for his “immediate removal” and a push back from some Republicans who hoped and prayed that the remarks were “bluster”.

The calls for the removal of Trump by invoking the 25th Amendment reached a crescendo among Democrats who slammed the US President’s remarks as “unhinged” and amounting to “war crimes”.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson said he does not support Trump’s threats and hoped that the remarks were really bluster.

Pakistan, which brokered ceasefire between US and Iran, says it extends to Israel and Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon.

On the other hand, Israeli military official says the country is still attacking Iran, after White House said Iran agreed to a ceasefire.

US official says the US military has halted all offensive operations against Iran, but continues defensive actions, reports AP.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the National Security Agency together issued the warning on Tuesday, reporting that hackers allied with Iran exploited vulnerabilities in internet-connected devices used to control machinery used in several important sectors.

They offered no details about the attacks but said they were intended to disrupt operations and cause financial harm.

The bulletin urged any US entity that uses the controllers to check their cyber defences.

A number of cyberattacks targeting US and Israeli entities have been attributed to pro-Iran hackers since US-Israeli strikes began. Authorities say critical infrastructure like ports and water plants could be targeted by Iranian hackers or independent groups working on their behalf.

Oil prices plunged and US stock futures jumped after President Donald Trump said he would hold off on his threat of devastating attacks on Iran for two weeks if the Iranians agree to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Futures for US crude oil sank 18% to around $92.60 while Brent crude oil futures fell about 6% to $103.40.

Both prices remain well above where they were at the start of the war. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 2.4%. Trump said Iran has proposed a “workable” 10-point peace plan that could help end war the US and Israel launched on Feb 28.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates both sounded missile alerts early Wednesday, despite Iran and the United States saying they had reached a two-week ceasefire in the war. Israel claimed it detected an incoming Iranian missile barrage.

Missile alerts also continued in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait early Wednesday, hinting at the chaos surrounding the diplomatic moves. Abu Dhabi officials said its Habshan gas-processing facility was ablaze.

Throughout the war, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has called the shots in all decisions. Individual commanders have made decisions on what to strike and when, with the nation's political leadership sidelined.

Whether they agreed to stop shooting with the declared ceasefire and negotiations being planned in Islamabad remained in question.

However, many Mideast wars see combatants launch last-minute attacks to be able to claim victory with their populations.

China, which is Tehran's biggest trade partner, reportedly spoke with the Iranians to get them on board to look for a path towards a ceasefire in the war with the US.

Chinese officials were in touch with Iranian officials as the negotiations were evolving, AP quoted two officials who were not authorised to comment publicly as speaking on condition of anonymity.

Beijing primarily had been working with intermediaries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as it tried to use its influence, said one of the officials.

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier Tuesday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said, “All parties need to demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place.” She said China was “deeply concerned” about the impact the conflict has on the world economy and energy security.