Iran has leveled accusations against the United States, claiming breaches in their ceasefire agreement, despite assurances from Donald Trump that the truce remains intact. Meanwhile, fresh explosions have disturbed America’s Arab allies, and Tehran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf alleged on Wednesday that the U.S. had violated three provisions of the contentious ceasefire agreement. He pointed to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, drone incursions into Iranian airspace, and the U.S. stance against Iran’s uranium enrichment as breaches of a 10-point plan that Trump had endorsed.
“The very ‘workable basis on which to negotiate’ has been clearly and openly violated, even before discussions have started,” Ghalibaf stated on X, referencing Trump. “In this context, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unrealistic.”
Hours later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt contested Iran’s interpretation of the ceasefire terms during a briefing, asserting that Trump had never agreed to permit Iran’s uranium enrichment.
“The President’s red lines, particularly regarding the cessation of Iranian enrichment, remain unchanged. The notion that President Trump would agree to an Iranian demand list as part of a deal is utterly ridiculous,” Leavitt remarked.
‘The President’s red lines, namely, the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran have not changed, and the idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd,’ Leavitt said.
She also claimed that the Strait of Hormuz was open despite Iranian media reporting that the vital oil artery had been closed in response to Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, a hotbed for Tehran terror proxy Hezbollah.
‘We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today,’ Leavitt said, noting that there was a difference between what Iran said publicly versus privately.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, appearing at a briefing earlier on Wednesday, relayed that the President had said that NATO ‘were tested and they failed’
Though some ships went through the Strait of Hormuz early on Wednesday, other ships have turned around. Iran state media has announced the strait is currently closed
President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening that Iran had agreed to a deal to re-open the strait, thought reports indicate that it is not fully open
Two tankers were allowed through the strait this morning as the two-week ceasefire commenced, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported, though it later said passage had been suspended in step with Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
Iran also threatened to destroy oil tankers if they try to travel through the Strait without permission, as the regime has imposed a toll of up to $2 million per vessel.
Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, a critical artery routing crude from the Gulf to the Red Sea, came under drone attack at 1pm local time, the Financial Times reported.
Kuwait’s air defenses intercepted 28 drones in sustained attacks targeting oil facilities, power plants and water desalination infrastructure from 8am Wednesday, the country’s army said, adding that strikes were still ongoing.
There were also reports of explosions rocking Tehran, which Leavitt declined to comment on, pending information from Trump’s national security team.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Ghalibaf claimed that the US is in ‘non-compliance with the first clause of the 10-Point proposal regarding the ceasefire in Lebanon.’
Beirut, the Lebanese capital, was under massive bombardment by Israeli forces.
‘Lebanon is not part of the cease fire,’ Leavitt said. ‘That has been related to all parties involved in the ceasefire.’
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Smoke billows after an Israeli strike in Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, on Wednesday. Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire
Vance told reporters on Wednesday that he has seen signs of the strait re-opening
Vice President JD Vance told reporters the Israelis had assured US officials they would ‘check themselves’ in Lebanon.
‘That’s not because that is part of the ceasefire. I think that’s the Israelis trying to set us up for success, and we’ll, of course, see how that unfolds in the next few days,’ he said.
He also said that he’s seen signs that the Strait is beginning to resume normal traffic.
Vance will travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner for in-person negotiations, the White House announced.
Trump told ABC News on Wednesday morning that he is fine with Iran charging tolls for ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz safely.
‘We’re thinking of doing it as a joint venture. It’s a way of securing it — also securing it from lots of other people,’ he said.
‘It’s a beautiful thing,’ he added.
Trump described the points as ‘a workable basis on which to negotiate,’ only for a White House official to say they did not match what the President had in mind.
Iranians burn US and Israeli flags at a protest in Enghelab Square, Tehran, following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire
Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE will likely find it highly unpalatable if Tehran continues to control traffic through the vital oil passage
The President then appeared to contradict his own team, saying most points had ‘been fully negotiated’ while leaving the door open to resuming strikes if the deal fell apart.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham demanded JD Vance appear before Congress to explain the terms of the agreement after the dovish Vice President spearheaded 11th-hour peace talks mediated by Pakistan.
‘The supposed negotiating document, in my view, has some troubling aspects, but time will tell,’ Graham posted on X.
‘I look forward to the architects of this proposal, the Vice President and others, coming forward to Congress and explaining how a negotiated deal meets our national security objectives in Iran.’
Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska said Trump had secured ‘significant victories’ but expressed skepticism over the peace talks and the President’s claims of ‘total victory.’
‘The government’s still in place and we should be negotiating from a position of strength, not a position that’s good for them,’ he told CNN.
‘They will work with Russia and China as soon as they can to start rebuilding their military. And they will be a threat five, six, seven, eight years down the road. And so, as long as this government’s in place, total victory has not been earned.’
Laura Loomer, a pro-Israel Trump ally, predicted the ceasefire ‘will fail.’
‘The negotiation is a negative for our country. We didn’t really get anything out of it and the terrorists in Iran are celebrating,’ she wrote on X. ‘I don’t know why people are acting like this is a win.’
Mark Levin, another pro-Israel commentator with close ties to Trump, said that while he trusts the President’s ‘instincts,’ the Iranians could not be trusted.
‘This enemy is still the enemy; they’re still surviving,’ he said of Iran.
