Nigeria, April 8 -- President Donald Trump's decision to accept a ceasefire in the war against Iran was not a voluntary act of statesmanship. It was, by most accounts, a retreat forced by a convergence of military setbacks, a crippling global energy crisis, and an unprecedented domestic political revolt that had begun to threaten his presidency.

The ceasefire, brokered through Pakistani mediation, includes a temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which a significant share of the world's oil and gas supplies pass, which Iran had blockaded since the outbreak of hostilities. A final agreement is expected to be concluded within a two-week window.

The political cost of the war at home has been severe for M...