Iranians hold national flags in Tehran's Revolution Square on April 8, 2026, after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

(MEDFORD, MA) President Donald Trump on April 7, 2026, announced a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, after more than a month of war marked by U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iranian military leadership, Iranian retaliation against regional oil infrastructure and a global energy crisis.

As a former U.S. diplomat, I have found there are three ways that warring parties arrive at a ceasefire.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.