By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the United States on Wednesday of violating the two-week ceasefire agreement. The allegation comes less than a day after President Donald Trump said he agreed to halt attacks for two weeks in exchange for Iran allowing ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This diplomatic friction triggered an immediate reaction in global energy markets, where oil prices surged toward $100 per barrel as investors weighed the possibility of renewed hostilities.
Iranian Accusations of Breach
Speaker Ghalibaf claimed the United States violated three critical components of Tehran’s 10-point ceasefire proposal. The violations include Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon, the entry of a drone into Iranian airspace, and the denial of the Islamic Republic’s right to enrich uranium.
“The deep historical distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of all forms of commitments — a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again,” Ghalibaf said in a statement posted on social media. The Speaker described the current diplomatic environment as hostile to further progress. “In such situation, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable,” he said.
White House Maintains Hardline Stance
The Trump administration offered a starkly different interpretation of the agreement’s scope, though the President had previously stated the Iranian proposal was a workable basis for negotiations. Vice President JD Vance addressed the allegations while traveling in Hungary on Wednesday. He dismissed the drone incident as a common complication of early-stage diplomacy. “Ceasefires are always messy,” Vance said.
The Vice President clarified that the U.S. position on nuclear capabilities remains firm, stating that Iran cannot enrich uranium. Vance also rejected the notion that the ceasefire applied to the conflict in Lebanon. “If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” Vance said.
Escalation in Lebanon and UN Condemnation
While the ceasefire was held in some sectors, Israel intensified its campaign against Hezbollah. Strikes on commercial and residential areas of Beirut killed at least 182 people Wednesday, marking the deadliest day of the current Israel-Hezbollah war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the truce deal does not cover fighting against Hezbollah, contradicting statements from the deal’s broker, Pakistan.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres issued an unequivocal condemnation of the civilian loss of life. A spokesperson for Guterres said the strikes pose “a grave risk to the ceasefire and the efforts toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.” The Secretary-General called on all parties to immediately cease hostilities.
Conflict Over the Strait of Hormuz
The status of the Strait of Hormuz remains a primary point of contention. President Trump initially characterized the ceasefire as subject to the complete, immediate, and safe opening of the waterway. However, Iran plans to demand that ships pay tolls to pass through the vital sea route. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that the President wants the strait open “without limitation, including tolls.”
Currently, tanker traffic remains at a standstill. Fars news agency reported that Iran halted traffic in response to the strikes in Lebanon. This disruption follows a significant plunge in traffic after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, which triggered the largest crude oil supply disruption in history. Freight and oil analysts have confirmed that ship traffic has not picked up beyond a slow trickle.
Restricted Access and Maritime Coercion
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), warned Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz is not effectively open. He noted that access is being restricted, conditioned, and controlled by Iranian authorities. “That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion,” Al Jaber said in a social media post. He stated that approximately 230 tankers loaded with oil are currently waiting to sail out of the Gulf. Iran’s military command said it will “manage and intelligently control” the waterway. Al Jaber emphasized that the strait is a natural passage where international law guarantees transit as a right, not a privilege to be weaponized. He warned that the final oil cargoes transited before the war are now reaching destinations. Physical supply disruptions will soon collide with the futures market. “Stability now depends on restoring real flows,” the CEO said.
Economic Impact and Market Uncertainty
Energy markets reacted swiftly to the diplomatic breakdown on Thursday. Brent crude futures rose 4% to $98.54, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate grew 5.3% to $99.41. These gains erased a significant price drop recorded only a day prior. Janiv Shah, Rystad Energy’s vice president of commodity markets, noted that while refiners should use lower price windows for opportunistic buying, product tightness could worsen if flows remain constrained.
President Trump utilized his Truth Social platform to issue a stern warning, insisting his surge of warships and troops will remain around Iran “until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.” He warned that if the deal fails, the “‘Shootin’ Starts,’ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.” He maintained that the strait will be open and safe and that Iran will not build nuclear weapons. Negotiations are tentatively scheduled to begin Friday in Islamabad with Vice President JD Vance leading the U.S. team.
The upcoming talks in Pakistan now stand as a critical pivot point for regional stability. As both Washington and Tehran maintain deeply polarized interpretations of the ceasefire’s terms, the success of the two-week window depends on whether diplomats can reconcile the immediate need for maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz with the escalating humanitarian and military crisis in Lebanon.
