WANA (Apr 08) – U.S. President Donald Trump early Wednesday once again backed away from his threatening posture in the face of firm warnings from the Islamic Republic of Iran, announcing a two-week ceasefire with Tehran — a move that came alongside acceptance of Iran’s 10-point plan for ending the war.

 

The 10-point proposal that Trump was forced to accept outlines the Islamic Republic’s strategic conditions for ending the war and restoring stability to the region. These conditions range from a guarantee of non-aggression and recognition of Iran’s right to uranium enrichment, to the full lifting of sanctions, compensation for damages, and the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region.

 

According to the report, Iran’s conditions for ending the war are as follows:

 

  1. Non-aggression
  2. Continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz
  3. Recognition of Iran’s right to enrichment
  4. Lifting of all primary sanctions
  5. Lifting of all secondary sanctions
  6. Termination of all UN Security Council resolutions
  7. Termination of all IAEA Board of Governors resolutions
  8. Compensation for damages inflicted on Iran
  9. Withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region
  10. End to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon

 

Trump Backs Down Again in the Face of Tehran’s Warnings

Early Wednesday, the U.S. president announced that attacks on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure would be postponed for another two weeks — a decision widely interpreted in political and media circles as yet another retreat by Washington in the face of the Islamic Republic’s deterrent power.

 

In a message posted on his social media pages, Trump said that following talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and after a request to halt the “destructive force” that was due to be deployed against Iran, he had agreed to suspend bombing and military strikes on Iran for two weeks — on the condition that Iran agree to the full, immediate, and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

 

He also claimed that the move was part of a bilateral ceasefire and stated: “We have now achieved all of our military objectives — and even exceeded them — but there is still some distance to go before reaching a final agreement on long-term peace with Iran and peace in the Middle East. We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and we believe it provides a workable basis for negotiations.”

 

The U.S. president further said that nearly all of the outstanding issues between Washington and Tehran had been agreed upon, and that the two-week period could serve as the final window for concluding and formalizing the deal.

 

Continued Iranian Control Over the Strait of Hormuz: One of the Most Important Elements of Tehran’s Plan

Among the provisions of Iran’s 10-point plan, the continued control of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran stands out as one of the most significant points that the United States has, in principle, accepted — an issue whose importance goes far beyond politics and reaches the level of a major geopolitical and economic equation in the region.

 

The continuation of Iran’s “smart management” of the Strait of Hormuz forms part of the same framework Washington has been forced to accept. Tehran had previously made clear that the strait would not return to its pre-war status.

 

Iran’s management of this strategic waterway during the war had led more than 70 countries — outside the U.S. monitoring framework — to enter direct talks with Tehran in order to secure passage for their ships through the corridor.