An hour and a half before the planned lethal strikes, it has been reported that President Trump has agreed with Iran on a mutual ceasefire. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has agreed to a two week reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which President Trump has accepted and agreed to postpone attacks for the two weeks, allowing for possible diplomacy to take place.
This was helped by Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistani Prime Minister, who intervened late to allow the president and the foreign minister of Iran to speak. This is exactly what Trump wanted. Now, the objective is to make the opening of the Strait permanent. This is now in Trump’s wheelhouse, the “Art of the Deal”.
President Trump took to Truth Social following the agreement. “Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. 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. We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
As I mentioned in my latest podcast episode, Trump was seeking any type of attempt at diplomacy from Iran so that he did not have to follow through with his threats. As everyone knows, the president does not have the tendency or the heart to want to cause massive suffering. The action he was threatening to take would have caused great suffering to innocent people.
What is next? Well that is to be seen. The president seems optimistic that a long term solution is “definitive”. If that is the case, that would mean that the president slipped out of what seemed to be an impossible spot. Somehow, someway, he may have done it again.
Unfortunately, the problem of neocon influence remains. The president has alienated many of his non-interventionist allies while running into the arms of figures such as Lindsey Graham and Mark Levin, whom he has consistently promoted as of recent.
This dampens my optimism about the long term future but I am glad to see that the president’s instincts still tend to move towards peace in the end.
We pray for our country and we pray for the president. We praise the Lord for his Goodness and the possibility of peace here.
