A two-week ceasefire has paved the way for peace negotiations between\nIran and the United States in Islamabad on Saturday (11\/04). However,\nthis has enraged Iran\u2019s hardline groups.<\/p>\n
Just a few days ago, hardline groups in the Islamic Republic of Iran\nerected a massive banner at one of the busiest intersections in the\nIranian capital, Tehran.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Strait of Hormuz will remain closed,\u201d read the banner.<\/p>\n
However, that banner will likely now have to be taken down after Iran\nagreed to a two-week ceasefire and peace talks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n
Previously, Iran had repeatedly stated that it would not agree to a\ntemporary ceasefire and there would be no peace negotiations.<\/p>\n
Is the ceasefire a \u2018gift to the enemy\u2019?<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s hardline groups are unhappy. They feel increasingly confident\nafter Iran managed to close the Strait of Hormuz and bombard Gulf\ncountries with missile and drone attacks. That group still believes that\nIran should continue the war because it holds the upper hand against the\nUnited States and Israel.<\/p>\n
Reports from Tehran indicate that they burned US and Israeli flags\nafter the ceasefire agreement was announced on Tuesday (07\/04).<\/p>\n
A group of men from the Basij volunteer militia, under the control of\nthe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), marched to Iran\u2019s Ministry\nof Foreign Affairs at midnight to protest the decision.<\/p>\n
A few hours later, the editor-in-chief of the hardline newspaper\nKayhan wrote that agreeing to the ceasefire was a \u201cgift to the\nenemy\u201d.<\/p>\n
The reason is that the ceasefire is essentially giving the US and\nIsrael the opportunity to restock their weapons and continue the\nwar.<\/p>\n
The decision to accept the ceasefire request and peace negotiations\nfrom Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was taken by the Supreme\nNational Security Council (SNSC), Iran\u2019s highest decision-making body\nunder the Supreme Leader. That body is currently led by moderate\nPresident Masoud Pezeshkian.<\/p>\n
The SNSC stated that safe shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz\nwould be opened for two weeks in exchange for a ceasefire from the US\nand Israel, while Washington and Tehran engage in negotiations.<\/p>\n
Several reports indicate that China played a key role in convincing\nIran to accept Pakistan\u2019s request as mediator.<\/p>\n
The ceasefire is sorely needed by the public<\/p>\n
Iran has suffered massive destruction during the 40-day war.<\/p>\n
More than 3,000 people are reported to have been killed, according to\nhuman rights activists. US President Donald Trump once threatened that\nthe death toll would rise.<\/p>\n
Even among hardline groups, there is growing awareness that a way out\nmust be found soon before Iran\u2019s vital infrastructure suffers even worse\ndamage.<\/p>\n
Just hours before the ceasefire announcement, Iran\u2019s hardline Chief\nJustice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told the state television station\nthat the country was seeking ways to end the war while maintaining its\nsuperior position.<\/p>\n
That statement essentially repeated what had been written by Iran\u2019s\nmoderate former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an article\npublished in Foreign Affairs a few days earlier.<\/p>\n
According to Iranian media, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher\nGhalibaf is scheduled to lead the Iranian delegation in negotiations\nwith the US in Islamabad, conducting direct talks with US Vice President\nJD Vance.<\/p>\n
This step marks another deviation from previous hardline\npolicies.<\/p>\n
Direct negotiations with the US have long been banned by the late\nformer Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in an Israeli\nattack on his residence on 28 February.<\/p>\n
This direct contact appears to have been approved by the new leader,\nwho is Khamenei\u2019s son.<\/p>\n
Although the ceasefire is in place, Iran and the US are still far\nfrom sustainable peace.<\/p>\n
The war could break out again if the negotiations reach a\ndeadlock.<\/p>\n
This possibility is actually hoped for by some Iranians who support\nthe war.<\/p>\n
They view the conflict as a way to topple what they see as a\ntyrannical regime.<\/p>\n
However, for many other citizens, this ceasefire provides the\nmuch-needed relief from the death and destruction that has enveloped\ntheir lives.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/what-does-the-ceasefire-mean-for-iran-and-what-happens-next-1775911847", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }