The Iran Ceasefire Reveals a Domino Effect of Conflict

A newly announced two-week ceasefire with Iran is partial and fragile, and will not end the regional "domino effect" of conflict, according to the article. Over 4 million people have already been forcibly displaced by the wars in Iran and Lebanon, adding to 115 million in humanitarian need across the wider Middle East. The closure of the Straits of Hormuz has led to increased energy prices and blocked fertilizer and humanitarian supplies, hitting the most vulnerable hardest. In Lebanon, nearly 1,500 people have been killed in the last four weeks, and over 1 million civilians have been displaced, constituting around one-fifth of the country’s population. For the ceasefire to be effective, a humanitarian lane through the Straits of Hormuz is critical to release trapped supplies and prevent a "food security time-bomb" in June.