Washington’s Truce
U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that for Washington, the victory was “total and complete”. The United States will halt attacks on Iran for two weeks, and Tehran will in return temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump specified in a message on his Truth Social network that Tehran had agreed to “a TOTAL, IMMEDIATE, and SECURE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”
The American president indicated that this agreement was reached after talks with Pakistani leaders who mediated in the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. He claimed that the issue of Iranian uranium would be “perfectly resolved” during this truce. Trump justified the war by accusing Tehran of enriching uranium to make a nuclear weapon, a claim that is not supported by the UN nuclear agency and has been denied by Iran.
And Tehran?
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Tehran would ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil passed before the war. A 10-point plan proposed by Iran to end the war was described as “viable” by Donald Trump.
It could serve as a basis for possible negotiations, but includes several points that Washington has previously found unattainable. The plan would require “Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of enrichment, the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions,” according to a statement by the Islamic Republic.
Other demands include the withdrawal of American forces from the Middle East, an end to attacks on Iran and its allies, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and a binding resolution by the UN Security Council.
Cease-Fire Doesn’t Apply to Lebanon
Israel announced support for Trump’s decision to suspend attacks on Iran, clarifying that the truce did not include Lebanon. In total, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed 1,530 people since the start of the war between the pro-Iranian Islamist Hezbollah movement and Israel on March 2, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
This contradicts an earlier announcement by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a mediator in the conflict, assuring that the cease-fire applied “everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the cease-fire would take effect immediately and that talks would begin on Friday in the Pakistani capital with delegates from both countries to reach “a definitive agreement.” Iran stated that it would dedicate two weeks to negotiations.
