Two-week ceasefire: did Trump and the United States lose to Iran?

The United States has suffered a humiliating defeat. That is what Iranian officials are saying. US President Donald Trump, however, said he had agreed to halt the bombing of Iran for two weeks on the condition that the Strait of Hormuz, considered a key strategic point in the conflict, be reopened, and claimed that the outcome of the war was moving in America’s favor. Politicians, meanwhile, say Iran agreed to the deal after Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts and pressure from China on Tehran. Israel, however, has ignored Trump’s ceasefire and continues striking Lebanon. So, will the war end soon, or will it resume after the two-week period mentioned in the agreement between Iran and the United States expires?

What does the 10-point ceasefire that halted the war include?

On April 7 this year, US President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that the United States had agreed to a 10-point ceasefire proposed by Iran through Pakistani mediation and would suspend the bombing of Iran for two weeks. Earlier, Trump had issued an ultimatum to Iran, warning that the country’s infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, would be destroyed and that Iran would be sent back to the “Stone Age.” However, following diplomatic contacts conducted through Pakistan’s mediation, those threats turned into a temporary suspension of military operations.

“Following talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir, they asked me to temporarily stop the deadly force being sent to Iran tonight. Also, on the condition that Iran agrees to fully, immediately, and safely reopen the Strait of Hormuz, I am prepared to halt bombings and attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks.

We received a 10-point proposal from Iran and consider it a suitable basis for negotiations. Nearly all of the previously disputed issues have been agreed upon between the United States and Iran. However, the two-week period will make it possible to fully formalize and implement a final agreement,” said the White House chief.

The US leader described these negotiations as a “bilateral ceasefire.” In his view, the United States has already successfully accomplished all of its military objectives, and the sides are now working intensively on a final peace agreement. He said the 10-point proposal received from Tehran would serve as a solid foundation for a future deal. Among the points are a US commitment not to attack Iran, Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, uranium enrichment on Iranian territory, the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions, compensation payments, and the withdrawal of American forces from the region.

In addition, Pakistan’s prime minister said the ceasefire agreed upon by Iran and the United States should apply “in Lebanon and everywhere.” Reports have also circulated in the media that strikes targeting Iran and Lebanon have stopped.

On the other side, Iranian officials have interpreted the deal as a “humiliating defeat for the United States.” According to a statement by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the enemy suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat in the unjust, illegal, and criminal war it waged against the Iranian people.

“Iran achieved a great victory and forced the criminal United States to accept a 10-point plan. Under this plan, the United States undertook obligations not to attack Iran, to preserve Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, to recognize its right to enrich uranium, to lift all primary and secondary sanctions, to suspend all UN Security Council resolutions, to pay compensation, to withdraw US military forces from the region, and to end the war on all fronts, including the fight against the heroic Islamic resistance movement in Lebanon,” the statement by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, circulated through Fars, said.

Interestingly, this agreement has not been described as a “victory” by Iranian officials alone. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, also emphasized that the very fact that US President Donald Trump had agreed to discuss the 10-point plan was itself a success for Iran. He wrote this on his Telegram channel.

“The very fact that Trump agreed to discuss the 10-point plan is already a victory for the Iranians. The problem is whether Washington will accept it, because it includes compensation for the damage inflicted on Iran, continuation of the nuclear program, and Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz,” the politician wrote.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, confirmed on X that for two weeks commercial ships would be able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as long as their movements were coordinated with Iranian military forces.

“Taking into account Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s appeal, as well as the 15-point proposal from the United States and the US President’s statement about readiness to consider Iran’s 10-point proposal as a basis for negotiations, I hereby announce on behalf of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council: if attacks against Iran stop, our armed forces will stop their defensive actions,” Abbas Araghchi said.

Araghchi also stressed separately that the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz would be guaranteed for two weeks, but that this process would be coordinated with Iranian military forces and would be subject to certain technical restrictions.

Did Iran agree to the ceasefire because of pressure from China?

According to international media reports, Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire with the United States following Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts and pressure from China on Tehran.

It was reported that Pakistan actively pushed for the ceasefire, while China at the last minute urged Tehran to be flexible and reduce tensions. In addition, economic damage to key infrastructure also influenced Iran’s decision. According to The New York Times, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, approved the two-week ceasefire plan proposed by Pakistan after last-minute pressure from China and intense diplomatic negotiations. However, China has not officially confirmed its involvement in the talks.

In a post on X, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealed to US President Trump to give diplomacy a chance.

“I strongly urge President Trump to extend the [ultimatum] deadline by two weeks. Pakistan sincerely asks our Iranian brothers, as a gesture of goodwill, to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for the relevant two-week period ... so that diplomacy can permanently stop the war and pave the way for long-term peace and stability in the region,” Shehbaz Sharif said.

At the same time, Sharif invited the Iranian and US delegations to the negotiating table in Islamabad on April 10 “to reach a final agreement on resolving all disputes.” According to CNN, the American delegation will include Vice President J.D. Vance, Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Israel “spat on” Trump’s ceasefire

Less than a day after the ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump, an Israeli drone struck an ambulance near the town of Al-Qalaila in southern Lebanon on April 8. As a result of the strike, doctors and a patient inside the vehicle were killed. Rescue operations were launched immediately at the scene. It is not yet known which hospital the ambulance belonged to. Israel said the strike was aimed at Hezbollah, but no one associated with the group was harmed. This move amounts to a violation in practice of the two-week agreement between the United States and Iran. Although the ceasefire was concluded between the United States and Iran, Israel had also accepted it. The agreement presented by Iran included a condition not to strike Lebanon. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the same. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, as of April 3, the number of victims of Israeli attacks across the country had exceeded 1,000, while more than 4,000 others had been injured.