THE MIND OF THE PEOPLE – The two-week ceasefire recently agreed by the US and Iran is in danger of breaking down less than 24 hours after it was announced. Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to a massive Israeli attack on Lebanon that it claimed violated the terms of the deal.
The crux of the problem is the difference in interpretation regarding the scope of the ceasefire. Iran and Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire, said the deal included Lebanon. However, Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected that interpretation.
Quoting The Guardian, Israel is claimed to have launched the largest attack throughout the war on more than 100 targets in Lebanon, killing at least 254 people. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump said Beirut was a ‘separate battle’ that was not included in the deal.
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The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said that Israel and the US had violated several clauses of the temporary ceasefire. He condemned Jerusalem’s aggressive bombing of Lebanon and Washington’s demand that Tehran not enrich its own uranium.
“In a situation like this, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable,” Ghalibaf was quoted as saying in the report.
Although the statement did not officially reject the ceasefire, it was claimed that tensions had been felt within hours.
Iran’s Fars news agency said tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz had been stopped due to “ceasefire violations” by Israel. Iran’s coast guard reportedly warned that any ships attempting to pass without permission would be “targeted and destroyed”.
The White House called Iranian state media reports of the strait closing “untrue” and said Trump expected the strait to be opened “immediately, quickly and safely.”
Differences in interpretation also emerged regarding the proposal that was the basis for the ceasefire. Trump called Iran’s 10-point proposal “a workable basis for negotiations” when announcing the ceasefire.
But White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt later called Iran’s proposal “unserious, unacceptable and completely discarded.” Trump later said the ceasefire was based on the US’s 15-point proposal.
Iran itself published two different versions of its interpretation, with the Persian version including acceptance of Iran’s right to enrich uranium, while the English version did not.
Amid this confusion of interpretations, five ships were claimed to have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, far fewer than the hundreds of ships that used to pass each day before the war. Maritime tracking company AXSMarine said this situation is not the same as an open strait because Iran requires military approval for every ship to pass through.
Tehran is also claimed to charge US$2 million per ship to pass through the strait and plans to share the revenue with Oman as the joint manager of the strait.
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The UAE is claimed to have reported its air defenses intercepted 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones that it claimed were fired by Iran following the ceasefire announcement. They also claimed to have attacked Saudi Arabia’s oil pipeline to the Red Sea hours after the ceasefire was announced.
The talks are scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Saturday with the US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance along with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Iranian delegation is claimed to be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
However, it is claimed that the White House has not confirmed their presence until this report was published. US Joint Chiefs Commander General Dan Caine emphasized that US troops remain ready to return to combat. “The ceasefire is a pause, and the joint forces remain ready if ordered,” he said.***
