Residents in Indian-administered Kashmir heaved a cautious sigh of relief after nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire after days of cross-border hostilities.
Pakistan and India announced on Saturday that they agreed on an immediate ceasefire. The announcement came following four days of military strikes on each other.
The uneasy calm has brought relief to people in both countries, especially those living near the Line of Control (LoC) - the de facto border dividing the Himalayan region claimed by both nations.
Locals are returning to their lives after tensions ran high for more than two weeks. Markets and shops in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-controlled Kashmir, are reopening without the fear of further escalation.
"Here in Kashmir, the atmosphere has been tense, and business had come to a standstill. So there's hope now that things will get better," said Asif Shafiq, a resident.
Fighting between the two countries started on Wednesday after New Delhi carried out deadly airstrikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, thus evoking a strong response from Islamabad.
The airstrikes were undertaken to avenge last month's killing of 26 people by gunmen in Pahalgam, about 89 km east of Srinagar.
India blamed Pakistan for supporting the gunmen, a charge that Pakistan denied.
"The ceasefire that was announced yesterday -- if we look at the build-up over the past week, starting with what happened in Pahalgam and then the escalation between the two countries -- we must keep in mind that these are nuclear powers," said Abid, another resident.
In past week, more than a dozen civilians -- among them children -- have been killed in fighting along the border. While both the countries were locked in an exchange of violence, residents mostly stayed indoors fearing escalation.
"We Kashmiris have always longed for peace. We have never wanted violence, nor will we ever want it. But the peace we seek should not be the peace of a graveyard -- we want peace in the real sense and spirit," said Imtiyaz Ali, a resident.
Kashmir residents hope for lasting peace as India, Pakistan reach ceasefire
The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked since Saturday evening and will not reopen until the United States lifts its naval blockade on the waterway.
In a statement carried by its official news outlet Sepah News, the IGRC said that the move came after the United States violated its commitments under the two-week ceasefire, which took effect on April 8, and failed to end its naval blockade against Iranian vessels and ports.
The IRGC Navy called on all vessels and their owners to follow official updates via its channel and VHF Channel 16, the international maritime distress, safety, and calling frequency. The statements by U.S. President Donald Trump hold no credibility in the strait and the Gulf, it added.
The IRGC warned that no vessel should move from its anchorage in the Gulf or the Gulf of Oman, and any approach to the strait would be deemed "cooperation with the enemy" and targeted accordingly.
Tehran's political leadership echoed the IRGC's firm position. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iran's control, revealing that during previous negotiations, Iran had firmly countered U.S. attempts to carry out minesweeping operations, which Tehran viewed as a ceasefire violation.
He said the situation had come close to conflict, but the U.S. had eventually backed off.
Calling the U.S. maritime blockade "reckless and ignorant," Ghalibaf warned that passage through the strait would certainly be restricted if Washington does not lift the blockade.
Underpinning these public announcements, Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Saturday affirmed the country's resolve to exercise control and supervision over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the war is definitively ended and lasting peace is achieved in the region.
For its part, the United States pressed ahead with its own military measures.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday that the U.S. military is imposing a maritime blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and nearby coastal areas. Since the blockade began on April 13, 23 ships have complied with U.S. directions to turn around.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is preparing in the coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing U.S. officials.
The move will enable the U.S. to take control of Iran-linked vessels around the world, including ships carrying Iranian oil that are already sailing outside the Persian Gulf and those carrying arms that could support Tehran, the report said.
Iran's IRGC says Strait of Hormuz blocked, demands end to US naval blockade
