US-Iran ceasefire frays as Tehran levels new accusations
Photo: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Getty Images)
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf states that a ceasefire with the US is "unreasonable", accusing the American side of violating three of Tehran’s ten demands, according to the AP.
Ceasefire in jeopardy
The two-week ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran, which was supposed to take effect after more than a month of war, is in danger of collapsing due to significant disagreements between the parties. Tehran claims that Washington has violated three of the ten conditions necessary for the cessation of hostilities.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire less than 90 minutes before his own ultimatum, in which he demanded that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz. Following this announcement, the US stock market rose by 2.5%.
Terms agreements
All parties presented radically different versions of the agreement. Specifically:
- Iran stated that the agreement allowed it to formalize the practice of charging fees to ships for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The White House, for its part, stated that Trump opposed this.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the ceasefire did not apply to military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which contradicted statements by Pakistan (the mediator in the agreement) and other countries.
War in Lebanon continues
Despite the ceasefire, Israel intensified its strikes on densely populated areas of Beirut. Lebanon reported at least 182 deaths and hundreds of injuries, the bloodiest day of the war with Hezbollah. In response to the Israeli attacks, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Next steps
Pakistan stated that negotiations for a permanent end to the war could begin in Islamabad as early as Friday. The White House confirmed that Vice President JD Vance would lead the US delegation.
The war between the US and Israel against Iran lasted six weeks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that peace in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are critical for Ukraine, as they would deprive Russia of its windfall profits from oil.
According to him, the price of black gold has already begun to fall, which is a clear signal to Russia.
The day before, the Trump administration issued an ultimatum to Iran regarding the Strait. The US opposed any collection of fees by Tehran for the passage of oil tankers. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made this statement at a press conference.
However, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israel’s massive airstrikes on targets in Lebanon, which preceded the announcement of a ceasefire
