What did 39 days of US strikes achieve, asks Omar Abdullah as US and Iran announce halt

Srinagar: Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised the outcome of the 2026 Iran war, questioning what the United States achieved after nearly 39 days of fighting, even as a fragile ceasefire came into force.

Reacting to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under the truce, Abdullah wrote on X: “So the ceasefire allows a strait to reopen, a strait that was open & freely available to everyone to use before the war started. What exactly did this 39-day war achieve for the US? #UnjustWar.”

His remarks came amid a US-Iran agreement on a two-week ceasefire, brokered through last-minute diplomacy led by Pakistan, which temporarily halts hostilities and ensures safe maritime passage through the crucial oil route.

The truce was announced just hours before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for major strikes on Iran, with Washington agreeing to suspend attacks in exchange for Tehran guaranteeing “complete and safe” access to the strait.

Despite the pause, Iran has made it clear the war is not over, warning that the ceasefire is temporary and contingent on US actions, while broader issues — including sanctions, security guarantees and control over the waterway — remain unresolved.

The nearly 40-day conflict, which began with US-Israel strikes on Iran in late February, disrupted global oil supplies, stalled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and triggered wider regional tensions.

Talks for a longer-term settlement are expected to take place in Islamabad, but uncertainty persists over whether the ceasefire can hold beyond the two-week window.