Gulf States Celebrate Trump's Iran Ceasefire While Region Braces for What Comes Next

Trump Hits Pause on His Iran War -- For Two Weeks

Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday, temporarily halting a conflict that has consumed the Middle East for 40 days and threatened global oil supplies. The truce came after Trump agreed to suspend attacks in exchange for Iran fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which 20 percent of the world's oil flows.

Iran's foreign ministry confirmed that safe passage through the strait would be coordinated with the country's armed forces for the two-week period. Celebrations erupted across Iran following the announcement, while Gulf nations issued carefully worded statements welcoming the pause -- though several made clear they expect more than a temporary timeout.

Peace talks are scheduled to begin Friday in Pakistan, but the ceasefire already shows cracks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately declared that the truce "does not include Lebanon," contradicting Pakistan's initial announcement and leaving Hezbollah -- which entered the war on March 2 -- in limbo. Israeli strikes continued hitting Lebanon on Wednesday even as the ceasefire took effect.

The War Trump Built

This conflict didn't emerge from a vacuum. Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Iran, his abandonment of the nuclear deal, and his administration's pattern of using foreign military action to distract from domestic scandals created the conditions for this crisis. When Iran began retaliatory attacks on what it claimed were US assets in Gulf Cooperation Council countries -- strikes that Gulf states say also hit civilian infrastructure -- Trump had his war.

The fighting embroiled nearly every nation in the region. Iraq became a battleground for proxy attacks between Tehran-backed militias and US forces. Lebanon was dragged in when Hezbollah launched strikes on Israel. The Strait of Hormuz, lifeline of global oil markets, became a chokepoint that sent energy prices soaring and threatened supply chains worldwide.

Now Trump wants credit for pausing a war he manufactured.

Gulf States Respond With Caution and Relief

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry welcomed the ceasefire but emphasized the need for attacks on regional countries to end permanently and for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open. The kingdom said it hopes the truce will "lead to a comprehensive sustainable pacification" -- diplomatic language for "we need this to actually stick."

Kuwait, one of the nations hit hardest by Iranian attacks during the conflict, expressed hope the ceasefire would lead to a "comprehensive and permanent settlement." The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported the country's call for both sides to adhere to the truce and begin dialogue.

Qatar's foreign ministry called the ceasefire an "initial step toward de-escalation" but stressed the importance of Iran immediately ceasing "all hostile acts." The ministry emphasized the need to ensure security of maritime passages and freedom of international navigation -- a direct reference to the Strait of Hormuz crisis that threatened Qatar's energy exports.

The United Arab Emirates struck a more triumphant tone. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, declared that "the UAE triumphed in a war we sincerely sought to avoid." Gargash praised what he called an "epic national defense" against "treacherous aggression," framing the UAE as emerging from the conflict with "greater leverage" and "sharper insight" to shape the region's future.

Oman's foreign ministry welcomed the ceasefire and appreciated "the efforts of Pakistan and all parties calling for an end to the war," but called for solutions that "end the crisis from its roots and achieve a permanent cessation of the state of war and hostilities in the region."

Lebanon Left in the Lurch

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the truce but made clear his country expects to be included. Aoun said Beirut would continue efforts "to ensure that the regional peace includes Lebanon in a stable and lasting manner."

Hezbollah legislator Ibrahim Al-Moussawi warned of a response from Iran and its allies if Israel refuses to honor a ceasefire in Lebanon. "The agreement includes Lebanon, according to its terms, and Iran insisted on this inclusion," Al-Moussawi told local television. But with Netanyahu explicitly excluding Lebanon and Israeli strikes continuing, that inclusion appears to be wishful thinking.

The disconnect reveals the fragility of this ceasefire. If Israel continues bombing Lebanon while honoring the truce with Iran, Hezbollah faces an impossible choice: accept attacks without Iranian support, or break the ceasefire and give Trump an excuse to restart the war.

Iraq and Egypt Urge Dialogue

Iraq's foreign ministry welcomed the ceasefire but called for "serious and sustainable dialogue" between the US and Iran to address "the root causes of the disputes and strengthen mutual trust." Iraq has been caught in the crossfire throughout the conflict, with Tehran-backed armed groups and US forces trading escalating attacks on Iraqi soil.

Egypt's foreign ministry said the ceasefire "represents a very important opportunity that must be seized to make room for negotiations, diplomacy, and constructive dialogue." The statement emphasized that the truce must be built upon with full commitment to stopping military operations -- suggesting Egypt has little faith Trump will follow through.

Two Weeks to Nowhere

Trump's two-week ceasefire solves nothing. It doesn't address the underlying issues that led to this conflict -- issues Trump himself created by tearing up the Iran nuclear deal and pursuing maximum pressure policies designed to provoke exactly this kind of crisis. It doesn't protect Lebanon from continued Israeli attacks. It doesn't guarantee the Strait of Hormuz will remain open beyond the two-week window. And it doesn't prevent Trump from restarting hostilities the moment it becomes politically convenient.

The peace talks in Pakistan may produce a longer-term agreement, but Trump's track record on international negotiations -- from his failed North Korea summits to his abandoned Afghanistan deal -- offers little reason for optimism. This ceasefire looks less like the beginning of peace and more like a brief intermission in a war Trump started, escalated, and will likely restart when he needs another distraction from his mounting domestic scandals.

For now, the Gulf states are celebrating the pause. But they know better than to trust that it will last.