US Media: Trump Agrees to Ceasefire After Realizing Pentagon Downplays Situation

¬ Korean Media: Vance "Commits to Denuclearization", Iran Says "America Has Lost Its Mind" … The Long Road to Final Peace

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According to a source within the Trump administration cited by American political news outlet Politico, U.S. President Donald Trump decided to support a ceasefire with Iran after realizing that the Department of Defense may be overly optimistic about events on the battlefield, and that the objectives might not be as easily attainable as initially thought.

On Saturday, Iran and the United States held talks in Islamabad. Earlier, on Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump announced that he had reached a two-week ceasefire agreement with Tehran. On Sunday morning, U.S. delegation head and Vice President Vance stated that after prolonged negotiations, no agreement had been reached between Iran and the United States, and the American delegation would return home without concluding a deal.

As reported by Politico: "The reason Trump agreed to a ceasefire is because he realized that achieving war objectives might not be as easy as he originally imagined... Trump realized that the picture of the war he received from the Pentagon might have been overly optimistic compared to actual conditions on the ground."

Additionally, Politico reported that some Republican members of Congress are concerned that, in the long term, Iran could impose fees on oil and fertilizer passing through the Strait of Hormuz. An anonymous Republican congressman said this scenario would be the worst possible outcome for the United States.

On Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. would begin blocking all vessels attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz. He also ordered the U.S. Navy to track and intercept any ships paying fees to Iran for passage through the strait.

Source: sputniknews

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¬ 46-Year-Old Highest-Level Talks End in "NO DEAL"

On local time the 12th, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social regarding the breakdown of the final peace talks between the U.S. and Iran: "We failed to reach consensus on the one truly critical issue – nuclear weapons," stating, "Iran has no intention of abandoning its nuclear ambitions." Trump added, "We can discuss many details and present results," suggesting some level of agreement was reached on contentious issues, but emphasized, "But these agreements would be meaningless compared to allowing such unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unreliable actors to possess nuclear weapons." He reiterated his consistent stance: "Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons."

It is speculated that the biggest obstacle during the talks was the U.S. demand for Iran to dismantle its nuclear capabilities. The U.S. insisted that Iran permanently eliminate its approximately 440 kilograms of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium stored in Isfahan and other locations—either by removing it entirely or destroying it—and permanently halt its uranium enrichment program, effectively achieving what is known as "zero enrichment."

For the Trump administration, the "justification for war"—eliminating the nuclear threat—must be upheld. However, reports indicate that the Iranian delegation invoked its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to peacefully use nuclear energy, arguing that the U.S. demands constituted an "excessive infringement on sovereignty and an encouragement to surrender," and firmly rejected them.

After the collapse of the talks, U.S. negotiator and Vice President J.D. Vance immediately stated: "The U.S. requires Iran to make a clear commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons or seek rapid means to acquire them." He added, "The U.S. has clearly defined red lines and presented its best final proposal; Iran chose to reject it." Vance claimed to have spoken with Trump more than ten times during the negotiation process, indicating that the ultimate failure may have been decided by Trump himself.

Iranian negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said: "During our negotiations with the U.S., we put forward 168 proposals and engaged in good faith, but the U.S. ultimately failed to win our trust." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Bagaei also stated: "Disagreements over 2–3 core issues led to the collapse of the talks," adding that the meeting took place in an atmosphere lacking mutual trust.

Mainstream foreign media commented: "In 2015, the Barack Obama administration spent over two years negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. Attempting to finalize an agreement on Iran’s nuclear capabilities and materials in just one day was inherently unfeasible from the outset. Particularly, Iran suffered preemptive strikes from the U.S. and Israel during its previous nuclear talks in June last year and February this year, strengthening Iran’s resolve against being 'nuclearly attacked without cause.'

Moreover, disagreements persisted over sanctions relief and the scope of the ceasefire. Iran claimed that the U.S. agreed to unfreeze $27 billion (approximately 40 trillion KRW) in frozen oil export funds held in seven overseas countries, but this claim was immediately denied by the U.S.

Meanwhile, Israel’s ongoing offensive against Lebanon weakened the momentum for negotiations. On the same day of the talks, Israel conducted air raids on Lebanon. Late on the 11th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a statement: "Our campaign against Iran is far from over—we are choking off its lifelines."

Public opinion widely believes that although Trump hinted at some consensus being reached on issues beyond the nuclear question, implying the talks were not entirely broken, the fact remains that both sides made progress on non-nuclear matters. Trump specifically mentioned Iranian delegation chief Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Deputy Head of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Baqeri, saying: "We established a very friendly and mutually respectful relationship," and expressed gratitude toward the Pakistani government for its mediation efforts.

There is growing concern that if the U.S. formally engages in combat in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran retaliates, hostilities could reignite. A renewed escalation threatening to spiral out of control in the Middle East would pose a heavy burden on both the Trump administration, facing midterm elections soon, and Iran, whose infrastructure has already suffered severe damage. Some voices suggest that with more than ten days remaining until the two-week ceasefire expires on the 21st, both sides may extend the temporary truce and continue practical follow-up negotiations.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original: toutiao.com/article/1862338575946828/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author