Iran Accuses the United States of Violating Ceasefire Agreement

Iran has accused the United States of breaching three points of a ceasefire agreement concerning a two-week truce. This was reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday, April 8. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared a post from Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, which discussed the agreement between the U.S. and Iran regarding a ceasefire.

The published message indicated that the ceasefire agreement applies to all territories in the region, including Lebanon. 'With great humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire across all territories, including Lebanon and other countries,' the post stated.

At the same time, Araghchi criticized the U.S. for its strikes in Lebanon, adding that 'everyone is watching to see if the States fulfill their obligations.' He emphasized, 'The terms of the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the U.S. are clear and unequivocal: the U.S. must make a choice: ceasefire or continue the war through Israel. There cannot be both. The world sees the slaughter in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching to see if they fulfill their obligations,' the Iranian minister wrote on the social network X.

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a series of threats against Iran, stating that the U.S. could 'destroy Iran overnight' and bomb all the country's bridges and power plants within hours. He also warned that failure to comply with his demands would result in 'the entire civilization perishing.' The ultimatum announced by Trump was set to expire at 8:00 PM Eastern Time (03:00 April 8 in Kyiv).

However, in the night leading to April 8, the American leader announced that he had agreed to suspend bombings of Iran for two weeks on the condition of the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz. He indicated that the U.S. had already 'achieved and exceeded all military objectives' and had 'made significant progress' towards reaching a final peace agreement. Subsequently, Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed the agreement for a two-week ceasefire with the U.S. Israel also agreed to suspend bombings during the negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Pakistan stated that he invites delegations from Iran and the U.S. to meet in Islamabad for further negotiations. Later, the Israel Defense Forces reported that they had conducted the largest coordinated strike against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion. The IDF noted that within 10 minutes, it simultaneously attacked over 100 command centers and military facilities of Hezbollah in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. Specifically, the strikes targeted the group's headquarters, intelligence command centers, central headquarters, fire and naval unit infrastructure, and assets of the Radwan forces and air unit (127).

The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the two-week ceasefire with Iran does not apply to the war in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Following this, several Iranian media outlets reported violations of the ceasefire by Israel. They also stated that if attacks on Lebanon continue, Tehran would withdraw from the ceasefire agreement.

The White House announced that the U.S. negotiating team for talks with Iran, scheduled to take place in Islamabad on Saturday, April 11, will be led by U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance. He will be joined by Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as quoted by The Times of Israel from White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt. Earlier reports indicated that the talks would take place on Friday and that Vance might not be able to participate for security reasons.

The Times of Israel reported that Iran wants Vance to represent the U.S. in the negotiations. Tehran, as noted in the article, accuses Witkoff and Kushner of misrepresenting Iran's position. Additionally, Vance is one of the few officials in the American administration who reportedly opposed the initiation of war with Iran, the publication stated. Meanwhile, Levitt did not clarify whether the negotiations would be direct or mediated, as is usually preferred by the Iranians.