Iranian State Media Declares Victory Over Trump's Ceasefire Announcement
Iranian state television has openly mocked former US President Donald Trump's offer of a two-week ceasefire, branding it a "humiliating retreat" from his previous threats. The broadcast came swiftly after Trump, 79, announced the suspension of imminent military strikes against Iran, a move that has been interpreted by Tehran as a significant climbdown.
Trump's Dramatic Backtrack on Military Threats
President Trump had previously vowed to "demolish" Iran's civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power stations, threats that were labelled "illegal" by US lawmakers and former military officials. In a sudden reversal, he agreed to a mutual ceasefire for fourteen days, conditional upon Iran reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Trump described a ten-point plan presented by Iran as "workable," suggesting it could form the basis for a lasting agreement.
The Iranian response was immediate and triumphant. Within minutes of Trump's announcement on Wednesday, the state news agency IRNA posted on its X account, stating, "US President Donald Trump has once again retreated from his own threats." The message quoted Trump as saying, "I agree to halt bombings and attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks, and this will be a mutual ceasefire."
State TV Banner Highlights 'Humiliating Retreat'
NBC News correspondent Matt Bradley reported that Iranian state television displayed a banner reading, "Trump's humiliating retreat from anti-Iran rhetoric; Trump has accepted Iran's conditions to end the war!" This visual declaration underscored Iran's perception of the ceasefire as a victory.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, released a statement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council, which was also published by IRNA. The statement appeared to accept Trump's terms, noting, "If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations. For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations."
Details of the Ceasefire and Iran's Demands
The ten-point list of demands from Iran has been made public following Trump's agreement to the last-minute ceasefire. Trump confirmed the arrangement in a Truth Social post, announcing he had called off an imminent attack. He wrote, "I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!"
In his post, Trump elaborated, "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 finalised and consummated." This suggests a potential pathway to de-escalation, though Iranian state media's mocking tone indicates deep-seated tensions remain.
The backdrop to this development includes previous strikes on Tehran, with images showing smoke rising from the site of a US-Israeli attack prior to the ceasefire. Iran's portrayal of the ceasefire as a retreat highlights the ongoing diplomatic and military friction between the two nations, with state television leveraging the moment to project strength and humiliation onto the US leadership.
