Tehran residents welcome ceasefire with U.S. but concerns remain

Residents in the Iranian capital Tehran have welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached with the United States, but also voiced concerns over how long it might hold.

After some 40 days of deadly clashes, the United States and Iran on Wednesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire, and committed to begin a new round of peace consultations in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on Friday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the number of vehicles and pedestrians in Tehran had increased significantly from previous days, and many shops that had been closed during the war were gradually reopening.

Tehran residents said they hoped that the ceasefire will hold and peace and stability will be restored.

"I am truly pleased to see so many people on the streets. The number of people is two to three times that of the previous days, which really makes me happy," said resident Hesam.

Many Iranians said that they support any action that serves Iran's national interests, but said they do not trust the U.S. as a negotiating partner following previous rounds of talks.

"A ceasefire is a good thing as long as it serves the interests of the Iranian people. However, we have already negotiated with the United States several times without reaching an agreement. If a ceasefire is merely a continuation of these fruitless negotiations, then it is meaningless. But we must continue negotiations so that the other side understands Iran's specific demands. All the terms proposed by Iran should be implemented; only under these circumstances will a ceasefire be a good thing," said Jafar.

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz. Eleven members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution, China and Russia voted against it, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained.

Ibrahim, a Tehran resident, said that China's action reflected its image as a responsible major power.

"It is a very good thing if a powerful country can play its role in the Middle East situation, and a major country like China has made its voice heard," he said.

Tehran residents welcome ceasefire with U.S. but concerns remain

The China-Laos Railway has recorded robust growth in cross-border cargo trade, with its first-quarter value rising 62.7 percent year on year to 6.81 billion yuan (about 992 million U.S. dollars), a record high for the period.

From January to March this year, exports of photovoltaic products surged 43.2 times year on year to 1.19 billion yuan, while imports of fresh and dried fruits doubled to 500 million yuan, according to Kunming Customs in the border province of Yunnan in southwest China.

The railway is emerging as an efficient two-way corridor for "Chinese manufactured goods heading south and Southeast Asian specialties heading north", the customs noted.

Since its launch, the total value of imports and exports via the railway had exceeded 80 billion yuan as of Tuesday.

The railway now serves over 6,000 enterprises across China, with its trade influence extending to 19 countries and regions, including Laos and Thailand. The range of traded goods has expanded from around 500 categories at the start of operations to more than 3,800.

Kunming Customs has introduced various measures to facilitate border trade along the railway.

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operations in December 2021. The 1,035-km-long railway connects China's Kunming with Vientiane in Laos.

China-Laos Railway sees robust growth in cross-border trade