TEHRAN – After 40 days of war, Iran and the United States have agreed to a two-week ceasefire to negotiate based on a 10-point peace plan that Iran submitted through Pakistan last week. The first round of talks is scheduled for Friday in Islamabad—provided that Israel does not succeed in destroying the ceasefire, which it began violating just hours after the agreement was announced by Pakistan and the warring parties.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, a country that maintains good relations with both Iran and the United States, was the first to break the news. In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the ceasefire halts the exchange of fire between Iran and the United States, as well as Israeli bombing of Lebanon. He expressed hope that the Islamabad Talks would achieve "sustainable peace" in West Asia.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post that Washington had deemed Iran's 10-point plan "a workable basis on which to negotiate."

U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed during a press conference on Wednesday that the Trump administration had achieved all of its war objectives, which included preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He added that Iran no longer has "any sort of a comprehensive air defense system" and that "their missile program is functionally destroyed."

Iran has never moved toward developing nuclear weapons—a fact confirmed by the most comprehensive inspection regime of the IAEA, which had been ongoing since 2015 until the U.S. bombed Iran's nuclear facilities in June and claimed to have "obliterated" them. Iranians participated in a second round of negotiations with Washington in February to reach a deal that would limit their nuclear program and ensure it would not develop nuclear weapons, but the Trump administration derailed those talks as well by launching the recent war on February 28. According to a fatwa (religious decree) issued by the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iranians are not permitted to develop nuclear weapons. His son, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, who now succeeds him, has yet to repeal that decree.

Hegseth's claims about degrading Iran's missile program and air defense systems also lack evidence on the ground. Iran continuously fired missiles and drones at U.S. bases across seven countries, as well as at Israel, since the war began. In its latest wave of attacks—the 100th, conducted on Wednesday—it struck 25 positions across Israel and the Persian Gulf. Iran also kept the Strait of Hormuz closed to ships belonging to hostile governments throughout the entire war, and for the next 14 days, vessels will only be allowed passage in coordination with Iran's military.

During his briefing, Hegseth asserted, "Iran begged for this ceasefire—and we all know it... Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield." However, sources have told the Tehran Times that the U.S. War Secretary's remarks are completely false, and that it was Washington that "begged" Iran for a ceasefire.

US lost a war it began due to delusions

Analysts say Trump's war was based on a miscalculation: by assassinating Ayatollah Khamenei on the first day of the war and carrying out a relentless bombing campaign on civilian sites, they believed either the Iranian people would topple the Islamic Republic or the government would be forced to capitulate. Some reports suggest Israel was the mastermind behind the war.

Instead, Iranians rallied behind the Islamic Republic, taking to the streets nightly to express support for their government despite nonstop U.S.-Israeli bombardment. Iranian officials also refused to back down, and despite the constant threat of assassination, stated they would carry out their duties and gladly die for their country. Multiple high-ranking Iranian officials, including Security Chief Ali Larijani, were assassinated over the past 40 days, but each was replaced by an equally determined successor.

The Trump administration also grossly underestimated Iran's military strength, analysts say. Reports suggest at least 70% of American bases across West Asia now lie in ruins. Energy prices have increased significantly due to the situation at the Strait of Hormuz, and the global economic fallout is expected to persist even if the war ends indefinitely.

Iran has stated it remains ready to resume all-out war against U.S. and Israeli interests should it determine that Americans are once again not serious about diplomacy. In a statement, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the body overseeing the war, said it would await the outcome of the negotiations but affirmed that it has its "finger on the trigger."

Hebrew media reports indicate that Israel is unhappy with the ceasefire and the prospect of an agreement. The regime's actions have confirmed those reports. Israel attacked an oil refinery on southern Lavan Island on Wednesday morning, to which Iran responded by striking U.S.-linked energy sites in the UAE and Kuwait.

Israel also carried out one of its deadliest massacres against Lebanon after the ceasefire was announced, killing and injuring hundreds of people in bombings across Beirut. Sources have told Fars News Agency that Iran is preparing to respond to those attacks as well.

Joe Kent, former director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Centre, who resigned in March in protest of the war against Iran, said in a video message posted on X that Washington must ensure that "Israelis do not sabotage" the ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran.

"The last thing we need is the Israelis doing what they have done in past negotiations—targeting the negotiators or taking a series of strikes that escalates the conflict," Kent stated.