(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on April 9) | Yonhap News Agency

## Summary
OK End the war completely 'Double sided' ceasefire in Iran must be sustained and become final The world breathed a sigh of relief after a two-week ceasefire was reached in the U.S.-Israel war on Iran on Wednesday (local time). President Donald Trump's decision to halt planned strikes less than two hours before his deadline -- paired with Iran's willingness to allow limited passage through the Strait of Hormuz and a 10-point proposal -- offers a hard-won opening for de-escalation and renewed diplomacy. Trump said the "double-sided" ceasefire would proceed on the condition that Iran completely, immediately and safely opens the strait. Both sides should double down on a complete and lasting end to the war. (END) Keywords #U.S.-Israel #Iran Articles with issue keywords Most Liked (LEAD) BTS tops Billboard albums chart for 2nd week with 'Arirang,' a first in K-pop BTS to drop 'Come Over,' exclusive new track on 'Arirang' LP 'Beef' Season 2 deepens Korean narrative, casts A-listers Youn Yuh-jung, Song Kang-ho BTS tops Spotify weekly charts for 2nd week with new album 'Arirang' Lee voices hope for peace in Easter message Most Saved 'Beef' Season 2 deepens Korean narrative, casts A-listers Youn Yuh-jung, Song Kang-ho (3rd LD) Lee says S.

## Article Content
Facebook
X
More
Pinterest
Linked in
Tumblr
Reddit
Facebook Messenger
Copy URL
URL is copied.
OK
End the war completely
'Double sided' ceasefire in Iran must be sustained and become final
The world breathed a sigh of relief after a two-week ceasefire was reached in the U.S.-Israel war on Iran on Wednesday (local time). Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced via X (formerly Twitter) that an immediate ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was reached and invited them to Islamabad on Friday to negotiate a conclusive end.
The war, which began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, had become a test of wills between the U.S., Israel and Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to halt planned strikes less than two hours before his deadline -- paired with Iran's willingness to allow limited passage through the Strait of Hormuz and a 10-point proposal -- offers a hard-won opening for de-escalation and renewed diplomacy.
The negotiations are unlikely to proceed smoothly as both the U.S. and Iran have declared victory. Issues are laid out in both Iran's 10-point plan and the vital matter of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The White House and Iran have both said that the ceasefire would go into effect once the strait reopens. Yet their positions remained ambiguous.
Trump said the "double-sided" ceasefire would proceed on the condition that Iran completely, immediately and safely opens the strait. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said vessels' passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management. Divisions over the strait were underscored by the U.N. Security Council's failed attempt to adopt a resolution, blocked by opposition from China and Russia.
Korea, which imports 70 percent of its crude oil and 20 percent of its natural gas via the strait, saw gas prices at the pumps rise to 2,000 won ($1.36) per liter in some places. The halting of naphtha imports threatened shortages of everything from vinyl to plastic bags.
During the temporary ceasefire, Korea needs to take urgent steps to address both immediate and long-term risks to its energy supply. The crisis has shown the importance of diversifying Korea's energy sources, rather than relying heavily on energy from the Middle East. There will be associated costs with diversifying supply lines, as refinery facilities are currently tailored for processing oil from the Middle East. But the recent ramifications from transit disruptions in the strait should serve as warning signals that Korea cannot avoid the task of seeking alternatives. Domestically, this would mean rebalancing the mix of energy, including nuclear and renewables -- not along the lines of domestic politics, but with an eye on securing a stable energy supply.
At the security level, Korea must reckon with shifting dynamics in its long-standing alliance with the United States. The U.S. president neither notified nor consulted allies ahead of the attack, and in the weeks since, Trump has been calling out Korea -- alongside other nations -- for failing to assist Washington. As Trump continues sending mixed signals on his war with Iran, Seoul should expect similar uncertainty to shape future disputes over trade and the cost of the alliance.
Korea must be ready to play a larger role under Trump's shifting position regarding the alliance, particularly through its investment plans for the U.S. and helping to rebuild the U.S. manufacturing sector. On the other hand, Korea must secure explicit assurances tied to any expanded role it takes on -- particularly guarantees that U.S. Forces Korea assets deployed to the Iran conflict will be promptly returned to the peninsula.
The war on Iran has broken with long-standing international principles of warfare. Trump's threats to attack civilian facilities prompted strong condemnation. Iran's endurance at the cost of its people's lives illustrated what can emerge when wills collide and war becomes one of attrition.
The two warring sides should put aside their differences not only for themselves but for global peace and the stability of economies everywhere. They should dispatch effective negotiators to Islamabad to achieve a conclusive end to the war. They should show that, even in today's world, conflicts can still be worked out through diplomacy. Both sides should double down on a complete and lasting end to the war.
(END)
Keywords
#U.S.-Israel
#Iran
Articles with issue keywords
Most Liked
(LEAD) BTS tops Billboard albums chart for 2nd week with 'Arirang,' a first in K-pop
BTS to drop 'Come Over,' exclusive new track on 'Arirang' LP
'Beef' Season 2 deepens Korean narrative, casts A-listers Youn Yuh-jung, Song Kang-ho
BTS tops Spotify weekly charts for 2nd week with new album 'Arirang'
Lee voices hope for peace in Easter message
Most Saved
'Beef' Season 2 deepens Korean narrative, casts A-listers Youn Yuh-jung, Song Kang-ho
(3rd LD) Lee says S. Korea, France agree to cooperate on safe passage through Strait of Hormuz
Defense chiefs o

---

## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Trump's threats to attack civilian facilities prompted strong condemnation.
- They should dispatch effective negotiators to Islamabad to achieve a conclusive end to the war.

### Areas for Consideration
- Both sides should double down on a complete and lasting end to the war. (END) Keywords #U.S.-Israel #Iran Articles with issue keywords Most Liked (LEAD) BTS tops Billboard albums chart for 2nd week with 'Arirang,' a first in K-pop BTS to drop 'Come Over,' exclusive new track on 'Arirang' LP 'Beef' Season 2 deepens Korean narrative, casts A-listers Youn Yuh-jung, Song Kang-ho BTS tops Spotify weekly charts for 2nd week with new album 'Arirang' Lee voices hope for peace in Easter message Most Saved 'Beef' Season 2 deepens Korean narrative, casts A-listers Youn Yuh-jung, Song Kang-ho (3rd LD) Lee says S.

### Implications
- There will be associated costs with diversifying supply lines, as refinery facilities are currently tailored for processing oil from the Middle East.
- But the recent ramifications from transit disruptions in the strait should serve as warning signals that Korea cannot avoid the task of seeking alternatives.
- As Trump continues sending mixed signals on his war with Iran, Seoul should expect similar uncertainty to shape future disputes over trade and the cost of the alliance.
- Forces Korea assets deployed to the Iran conflict will be promptly returned to the peninsula.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers korea, iran, strait topics. Notable strengths include discussion of korea. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 933.