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Can the US and Iran Agree to a Lasting Deal to End the War?

Demonstrators protest against US military action in Iran outside the White House on April 8.Source: AFP

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By Patrick Sykes

April 17, 2026 at 5:34 PM UTC

As the clock runs down on a two-week ceasefire agreed to by the US and Iran, the key question is whether they can reach a deal to end a war that has killed thousands of people and sparked a global energy crunch.

The chances of this happening appeared to improve after Iran said it would open the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping for the duration of a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon. Its throttling of traffic through the waterway has been the most pressing issue to resolve between the US and Iran amid the disruption to global oil and gas supply.