US president Donald Trump pulled back at the 11th hour from his threat to destroy a “whole civilization” after the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire deal that reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
- Donald Trump pulled back at the 11th hour from his threat to destroy Iran after the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire deal.
- Trump had initially made it clear that he would bomb the country’s power plants and other crucial civilian infrastructure.
- Iran said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible.
US president Donald Trump pulled back at the 11th hour from his threat to destroy a “whole civilization” after the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire deal that reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
While the White House had confirmed earlier that the US was not considering the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, Trump had initially made it clear that he would bomb the country’s power plants and other crucial civilian infrastructure, such as bridges, which would be considered war crimes under the Geneva Convention and international law.
Trump’s earlier apocalyptic rhetoric was condemned by US lawmakers, including from his own Republican Party, and prompted debate as to whether he was conceding to Iran’s 10-point plan to end hostilities, which he admitted in a White House statement was a “workable basis on which to negotiate”.
Iran’s plan, according to wire agencies, includes its continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of US combat forces from the region, the cessation of war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and acceptance of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme.
While a statement allegedly issued by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council claimed it had secured a “historic victory” with the acceptance of the plan, Trump criticised news broadcaster CNN for broadcasting that statement, claiming it was a “fraud” and was fake news.
CNN responded that “the statement in question was obtained by CNN from Iranian officials and reported on multiple Iranian state media outlets.”
“We received the statement from specific official Iranian spokespeople who are known to us.”
The official White House statement said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir brokered the deal, urging the US to “hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran”, on condition that Iran agree to the “complete, immediate, and safe opening” of the strait, through which 20% of the world’s crude oil passes.
“I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said.
“This will be a double sided ceasefire! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive agreement concerning longterm peace with Iran, and peace in the Middle East.”
Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said in a separate statement that if “attacks against Iran are halted, our powerful armed forces will cease their defensive operations.”
“For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s armed forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Analysists for both CNN and Al Jazeera said that the ceasefire is a strategic victory for Iran, which now has more control over the Strait of Hormuz than it previously had, and over which it is now entrenching control in terms of the deal.
CNN reported that Israel had reluctantly agreed to the ceasefire; however, its correspondent in Tel Aviv said that there had been three air strikes on Israel by Iran in the initial hours after the announcement.
The New York Times reported that Gulf countries, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, reported missile and drone attacks shortly after the ceasefire deal was announced. Both the UAE and Israeli militaries said they had countered the strikes, while the Kuwaiti army said its air defences had detected strikes, and the Qataris said they had intercepted a missile strike.
Al Jazeera reported that the two-week ceasefire announcement was met with jubilation on the streets of Tehran, and that the post-announcement strikes on Israel were likely a result of the news of the deal not filtering down to Iranian forces and not yet being announced on Iranian media.
Prior to the deal, oil prices reached close to $150 a barrel. Following the announcement, wire agencies reported that oil dived, bonds rallied, and stocks surged as the ceasefire was seen as paving the way for the resumption of Gulf oil and gas exports.
Rocketing oil prices had sparked enormous fuel price hikes, including in South Africa.
Ofentse Donald Davhie, a research associate at the Centre for Risk Analysis said the decision not to proceed with the threatened strikes would provide short-term relief to global markets, particularly in the energy complex. While oil prices would soften, this did not mark a return to stability but instead was a “recalibration within an already fragile environment.”
“By stepping back, the US preserved diplomatic optionality and avoided immediate horizontal escalation across the Gulf. The absence of direct strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure reduced the likelihood that neighbouring Gulf states’ critical infrastructure, particularly energy and desalination facilities would be attacked. This has also created space for mediated de-escalation, whether through regional intermediaries or indirect negotiations,” he said.
Journalist and commentator John Mattison said Trump conducted the negotiations “like the TV drama that many say is his presidential style.”
“By threatening the end of a civilisation and increasing the bombing ahead of this climb-down, he aimed to show Americans that he is tough while actually conceding to key Iranian demands. The key question will now be whether a peace agreement can stop the inevitable military and economic conflict of 47 years.”
– Additional reporting by AFP and Reuters.
