War in the Middle East: What we know about the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States

Ceasefire According to Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump stated 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 temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz in return. Trump specified in a message published on his Truth Social network that Tehran had agreed to “the complete, 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 initiated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28. He claimed that the issue of Iranian uranium would be “perfectly settled” during this ceasefire. Trump justified the war by accusing Tehran of enriching uranium to build a nuclear weapon, a claim not supported by the UN nuclear agency and denied by Iran.

And Tehran?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Tehran would ensure safe passages in 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 deemed “viable” by Donald Trump.

It could serve as a basis for possible negotiations, but contains several points that Washington has historically deemed unachievable. The plan would require “Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of enrichment, lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions,” according to a statement by the Islamic Republic.

Other demands include the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Middle East, an end to attacks on Iran and its allies, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and a binding UN Security Council resolution on the agreement.

Ceasefire Does Not Apply to Lebanon

Israel announced its support for Trump’s decision to suspend attacks on Iran, clarifying that the ceasefire did not include Lebanon. Overall, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed 1,530 people since the beginning of the war between the pro-Iranian Islamist movement Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, as reported by the Lebanese Health Ministry on Tuesday.

This statement contradicts an earlier announcement by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a mediator in the conflict, assuring that the ceasefire applied “everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the ceasefire would take effect immediately, with talks commencing on Friday in the Pakistani capital with delegates from both countries to reach “a definitive agreement.” Iran announced that it would dedicate two weeks to negotiations.