The United States and Iran are discussing a cessation of hostilities plan. What the media is writing

The United States and Iran, with the help of intermediaries, are discussing a ceasefire plan that will also allow the Strait of Hormuz to be opened for the passage of oil tankers. The talks are taking place against the backdrop of a new ultimatum from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to destroy Iran's energy infrastructure. How the media assess the likelihood of a peaceful settlement in the Middle East is in the Izvestia digest.

Reuters: Iran and the United States have received a cessation of hostilities plan

Iran and the United States have received a cessation of hostilities plan that could take effect on April 6 and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the proposals said. According to him, Pakistan has developed a framework agreement on cessation of hostilities, which was handed over to Tehran and Washington the previous night. It outlines a two-step approach involving an immediate cease-fire followed by a comprehensive agreement.

The source said that the commander of the Pakistani army, Field Marshal Asim Munir, had been in touch with US Vice President Jay Dee Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi all night. According to the proposed plan, the ceasefire will take effect immediately, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and the parties will have 15-20 days to finalize a broader settlement. The agreement, tentatively called the Islamabad Agreement, will include a regional structure for the strait, with final face-to-face talks taking place in Islamabad.

Axios: Iranian mediators propose to achieve a 45-day ceasefire

According to four sources, the United States, Iran and a group of regional mediators are discussing the terms of a potential 45-day cease-fire that could bring the war to an end. Sources said the chances of reaching a partial agreement within the next 48 hours are slim. But this latest attempt is the only chance to prevent an escalation of the war, which will include massive strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure and retaliatory actions against energy and water facilities in the Persian Gulf countries.

Four sources familiar with the diplomatic process said that negotiations are underway with the participation of Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish intermediaries, as well as through text messages exchanged between Witkoff and Araqchi. The American official said that the Trump administration has sent several proposals to Iran in recent days, but Iranian officials have not yet accepted them. The mediators discuss with the parties the terms of a two-stage agreement. The first stage involves a potential 45-day cease-fire, during which time agreements will be reached on the final cessation of the war.

Financial Times: Trump promises to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges

Trump has threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz. He gave Tehran until the evening of April 7 to reopen the crucial sea route, after earlier threatening to create "hell on earth" in an obscene post on social media.

Brent crude oil rose 2% to $111.18 per barrel in morning trading in Asia, but then dropped to $110. The Supreme Commander of the Iranian armed forces, Ali Abdollahi, warned that "the gates of hell will open" if the United States and Israel continue to strike at the Islamic Republic's energy infrastructure.

CNN: how the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz affects the US energy sector

Trump is right that the United States depends very little on Middle Eastern oil supplied through the Strait of Hormuz. America receives only about half a million of the 20 million barrels of crude oil it consumes daily from the strait, a very small amount that could be replaced by oil from other regions. However, Trump's latest threat, full of obscene language, underscores the harsh truth: the health of the US economy depends on the Strait of Hormuz much more than the president admits.

High oil and gasoline prices are already negatively affecting the U.S. economy. Many Americans are experiencing difficulties due to high gasoline prices, and some small businesses, unable to raise prices further, are forced to make difficult decisions about the number of employees. It's not easy to bring down a $30 trillion economy. Although eight of the last nine recessions were preceded by the oil crisis, the war began just over five weeks ago, and it may take several more months for it to cause damage to the U.S. economy comparable to the recession.

Bloomberg: oil from Iraq may cross the Strait of Hormuz

Iraq has allowed Asian traders and refineries to load its oil, as ships that transport it can now pass through the Strait of Hormuz thanks to Iranian permission. Iran has said that restrictions on shipping now do not apply to its neighbor. The Ocean Thunder tanker, carrying one million barrels of Iraqi oil, left the Persian Gulf on April 5.

Apart from the pipeline system crossing Turkey, Iraq has limited capacity to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Iraqi oil exports in March decreased by about 97% compared to the previous month, averaging 99,000 barrels per day. In the last week, there has been an increase in traffic along this important waterway, but it remains very low compared to pre-war figures.