The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, a little over an hour before the expiration of Donald Trump’s ultimatum which threatened to destroy the Islamic Republic.
Here is what we know about the truce between the two countries, which are expected to begin talks on Friday in Pakistan, a mediating country in the conflict in the Middle East.
“The battle continues” in Lebanon, says Israel
The Israeli army confirmed on Wednesday that it was observing the ceasefire declared with Iran after having carried out new strikes overnight against Iranian missile launchers, specifying that it remained in a “state of high alert”.
On the other hand, in Lebanon “the battle continues”, affirmed the Israeli army.
Lebanon: the army calls on the displaced not to return to the south
The Lebanese army called on Wednesday morning the displaced not to return to the south of the country where the strikes continue, Israel affirming that Lebanon is not included in the truce between Iran and the United States.
“The army calls on citizens to wait before returning to towns and villages in the south,” she said in a statement.
An AFP correspondent in the Tire region saw a small number of people returning by car to areas they had evacuated at the start of the conflict.
New Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon
The Israeli army carried out several strikes on southern Lebanon on Wednesday morning, according to the National Information Agency (official Ani), after having issued a new evacuation order for the Tire region.
The pro-Iranian Hezbollah, for its part, has not claimed any attacks against Israel since 1 a.m. (local time), while a two-week ceasefire came into force between the United States and Iran. Israel said the truce did not concern Lebanon.
The peace according to Washington
Reached by telephone by AFP, US President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that for Washington, victory was “total and complete.”
The United States will suspend attacks on Iran for two weeks, and Tehran will in return temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has agreed to “the TOTAL, IMMEDIATE AND SECURE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” declared Mr. Trump in a message published on his Truth Social network.
The American president specified that the agreement had been concluded after having met with leaders in Pakistan, a mediating country in the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.
He affirmed that the question of Iranian uranium would be “perfectly resolved” during this truce.
Mr. Trump has justified the conflict, accusing Tehran of enriching uranium with the aim of making an atomic weapon, a claim that is not supported by the UN nuclear agency and which Iran has denied.
In a previous plan aimed at ending hostilities, the United States demanded that Iran stop further enrichment, accept limits on its missile program and end its support for armed groups in the region, which was refused by Tehran.
These demands were not communicated in the last truce.
Last month, the US leader said Iran’s “unconditional surrender” would be the only acceptable outcome to end the conflict.
Et Téhéran?
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Tehran would guarantee safe crossings of the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of world crude transited before the conflict.
A 10-point plan proposed by Iran to bring about an end to the conflict has been described as “viable” by Donald Trump.
It could serve as the basis for possible negotiations later this week, but includes several sticking points that Washington has deemed unworkable in the past.
The plan would require “the maintenance of Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, the acceptance of enrichment, the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions”, according to a press release published by the Islamic Republic.
While the request for uranium enrichment was not included in the English version of the Tehran declaration shared by the UN, it was part of the Persian version carried by Iranian state media.
Among the other demands: the withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East, an end to attacks on Iran and its allies, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a UN Security Council resolution making the agreement binding.
Ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon
Israel announced its support for Donald Trump’s decision to suspend attacks against Iran, while specifying that the truce did not include Lebanon.
In total, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed 1,530 people since the start of the conflict between the pro-Iranian Islamist movement Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
This assertion contradicts an announcement made earlier by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, mediator in the conflict, assuring that the ceasefire applied “everywhere, including in Lebanon and elsewhere.”
And what’s next?
Mr Sharif announced that the ceasefire was taking effect immediately, and that talks would begin on Friday in the Pakistani capital with delegates from both countries.
The discussions will aim to reach “a definitive agreement”, he declared.
Iran announced that it would devote two weeks to negotiations.
Oil fell on Wednesday following the announcement that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen as part of the truce, as global oil and gas supplies were under pressure since Iran effectively closed the passage.
Decongestion of the Strait could provide temporary relief to countries that depend on oil imports.
