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The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 7 and will begin negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11. The Iranian Supreme National Security Council announced that the regime agreed to the ceasefire on April 7, several hours after US President Donald Trump announced that he had agreed to the ceasefire on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump made his announcement around three hours after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on X that diplomatic efforts toward a US-Iran agreement were “progressing steadily, strongly, and powerfully.” Sharif called on Iran to “open” the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture and urged all warring parties to observe a ceasefire during the two-week period to facilitate a “conclusive” end to the war. Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Iran’s acceptance of the ceasefire and stated that Iran will allow the “safe passage” of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week period “via coordination with Iran’s armed forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
President Trump described Iran’s 10-point counterproposal that it sent to the United States on April 5 as “a workable basis on which to negotiate.” Iran’s demands included a permanent end to the war with guarantees that the United States or Israel will not attack Iran again. Iran also demanded the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions on Iran, the termination of all UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors resolutions against Iran, the payment of reparations to Iran, the withdrawal of US forces from the region, and the cessation of war on all fronts, including Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran also reportedly stated that it will charge vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz a fee of up to $2 million US dollars, the revenue from which it will split with Oman and use for post-war reconstruction. Iran’s proposal to charge vessels that transit the Strait of Hormuz highlights Iran’s attempt to use the strait as a point of leverage and for its financial gain.
Israel has reportedly agreed to cease operations against Iran and Hezbollah if Iran halts its operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posted on X on April 7 that Iran and the United States’ allies, presumably referring to Iran’s Axis of Resistance and Israel, respectively, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire “everywhere, including [in] Lebanon and elsewhere.” Israel and members of Iran’s Axis of Resistance have not commented on the ceasefire at the time of this writing.
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