Iran's latest statement: Congratulations to all people on the victory! Trump: Iran can start rebuilding now!

U.S. President Trump said on the 8th that the United States will help address the “shipping congestion” problem in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that “there will be many positive actions, and enormous wealth will be created.”

On social media, Trump wrote, “Iran can begin the rebuilding process. We will ship all kinds of supplies and ‘stay there’ to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

Trump also claimed that this will be the “golden age of the Middle East.”

According to a report from the U.S. side on the 7th, Iran and Oman will charge transit fees for the Strait of Hormuz. This news has not yet been confirmed by Iran’s official authorities.

Iran Congratulates the Entire People on Victory, Saying the United States Has Committed in Principle to Fulfill Its Obligations

Local time on April 8, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a statement, congratulated all Iranian people on the victory and emphasized that before the details of the victory are ultimately finalized, officials still need steadfastness and strategy, and the Iranian people must remain united and coordinated.

The statement says the United States has committed in principle to the following obligations:

**　　Guarantee that no further military actions will be carried out;**

**　　Acknowledge Iran’s continued right of control over the Strait of Hormuz;**

**　　Accept Iran’s uranium enrichment activities;**

**　　Lift all sanctions at Levels 1 and 2 against Iran;**

**　　Terminate all relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency;**

**　　Pay compensation for losses caused to Iran;**

**　　Withdraw U.S. combat forces from the region;**

**　　Stop all military actions on all fronts.**

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council congratulated all Iranian people on this victory and once again stressed that before the details of the victory are finally settled, officials’ decisions and the public’s unity and cooperation are crucial.

The statement says that over the past 40 days, Iran, working side by side with Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and others, dealt heavy blows to the enemy. Now, aside from surrendering to Iran, the enemy has no way out.

【Hot Q&A】

Why did Trump suddenly hit the brakes in the face of a cliff again? Did the U.S. and Iran each step back?

In the countdown to “destroying Iranian civilization,” the war machine of the United States and Israel quietly slowed down.

In the evening of April 7, local time, with just a little more than an hour left before the final ultimatum issued by U.S. President Trump to Iran, he suddenly announced on social media that he agreed to pause attacks on Iran for two weeks on the condition that Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.

And less than 12 hours earlier, the United States and Israel had applied extreme pressure, launching large-scale strikes on roads and bridges in multiple areas of Iran, and even reports of explosions in Iran’s oil lifeline, the Khark Island, pushed international oil prices sharply higher, with markets gripped by rising anxiety.

Standing on the cliff’s edge as the conflict escalated, why did Trump suddenly hit the brakes? Why did Iran agree to stop fighting? What is the outlook for negotiations between the U.S. and Iran?

Liberation Daily · Shanghai Observer News reporter

Interviewed Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University.

Where the U.S. Conceded

At 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the 7th, it was Trump’s final deadline for Iran’s “acceptance of the deal” after multiple extensions.

In the previous 24 hours, Trump had delivered a barrage of harsh statements, including plans to blow up all bridges and power stations in Iran, and even a warning that “a civilization will completely perish, never to return.”

However, an hour and a half before the deadline, he suddenly posted that communication with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Army General Munir had led to a “bilateral ceasefire.”

According to his account, Iran’s “ten-point plan” is “a viable basis for negotiations”; the U.S. side has made major progress in pushing toward a long-term peace agreement with Iran.

This statement was seen as the first public signal from Trump indicating willingness to use Iran’s plan as the starting point for negotiations.

Liberation Daily · Shanghai Observer News: As the situation was nearly out of control and then suddenly turned, what considerations lay behind Trump’s move?

Ding Long: The strategy is extreme threat and launching negotiations—this is Trump’s usual approach. His goal is always to reach a deal, but before reaching one, he pushes the other side to make concessions through extreme rhetoric and military pressure. This includes strikes against key infrastructure. Its main purpose is not merely to destroy militarily, but to pressure Iran into responding. Judging from the outcome, this strategy has worked to a certain extent.

But based on the U.S.’ original demands, the conditions it proposed—Iran’s surrender, handing over nuclear materials, abandoning nuclear and missile plans, and so on—were all unacceptable to Iran.

And Iran’s latest “ten-point plan” includes coordinating to achieve navigation through the strait, ending the war, obtaining compensation, and lifting sanctions, among other items, but it does not involve the core issues mentioned above. This shows that the U.S. side has retreated on these key topics, which is also an important reason the two sides were able to reach the current phased arrangement.

In essence, this is a pragmatic adjustment at the edge of escalation of the conflict, showing that at the last moment, both sides have aimed to avoid the worst outcome. The U.S. wants to get out of the war as soon as possible, and Trump’s main considerations are political consequences, including domestic pressure, war costs, escalation risks, and so on.

Why Iran Turned Around

In the early hours of the 8th, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement saying that, based on the recommendations of the Supreme Leader and with approval by the Supreme National Security Council, it accepted the ceasefire proposal put forward by Pakistan.

According to Iranian media reports, negotiations between Iran and the United States will begin on April 10 in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, for a duration of two weeks.

This development represents a clear shift compared with Iran’s earlier hardline stance, in which it did not accept the U.S.’ core conditions and insisted on security guarantees as the premise.

Even more noteworthy is that only a few hours earlier, Iranian media said that Iran had shut down all diplomatic channels with the United States and all indirect communication channels, pausing all information exchanges.

On the 7th, Iran’s president and speaker both said on social media that they were prepared to give their lives to defend Iran, “We will never back down.”

Liberation Daily · Shanghai Observer News: In just a few hours, why did Iran turn around—from “complete disruption of communications” to “accepting a ceasefire and launching negotiations”?

Ding Long: Iran agreed to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz under certain conditions, while also showing its willingness to negotiate. It agreed that the negotiation period could be extended, which represents a concession compared with its earlier position.

This indicates that, in avoiding a fatal blow, Iran’s stance is pragmatic. Compared with the political costs the U.S. is considering, Iran is more focused on its own security and regime survival. It is concerned that if the conflict continues to escalate, it will suffer a severe blow—perhaps even beyond what it can bear.

Overall, the current ceasefire is the result of “when the time is ripe.”

War cannot continue indefinitely; both sides lack the capacity for long-term fighting, so both are actively avoiding large-scale escalation of the war and endless delays.

Against this backdrop, Pakistan’s mediation provided both sides with a “step,” helping drive the start of the ceasefire and negotiations.

The Core Differences Remain

In his post, Trump mentioned that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is the prerequisite for both sides’ ceasefire.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks, Iran has consistently treated navigation through the strait as a key bargaining chip in negotiations. Now that Iran’s stance has softened, it also creates room for both sides to ease this core dispute.

However, on the 8th, Iran emphasized that Iran has “complete distrust” of the U.S.; the two-week negotiations are still a continuation of the struggle on the battlefield.

Liberation Daily · Shanghai Observer News: Apart from the Strait of Hormuz issue, what other key disputes will the two sides face in negotiations? In the current situation, what is the outlook for advancing the talks?

Ding Long: A ceasefire does not mean the problem is solved. Even though negotiations are about to begin, the difficulty in moving forward will not be small, and reaching a final agreement will be extremely difficult.

One important change is that the U.S. has accepted using the “ten-point plan” as the starting point for negotiations. But in terms of content, Iran’s plan does not involve nuclear or missile issues, which are precisely the most core points of contention.

Iran’s main demands include lifting sanctions, obtaining security guarantees (no longer being attacked), and war compensation. But it is difficult for the United States to fully accept these demands.

On issues such as security mechanisms, the status of the strait, nuclear capability, missile plans, and the comprehensive lifting of sanctions, the two sides still have major disagreements, which will also become the main obstacles in subsequent negotiations.

The Situation Could Swing Back and Forth

Over the past two weeks, Pakistan has been shuttling between the United States and Iran to mediate.

On the 7th, Trump stated clearly that communication with Pakistan’s prime minister and the army chief of staff “brought about” the ceasefire, highlighting Pakistan’s intermediary role in this crisis.

On the 8th, Pakistan welcomed the ceasefire and continued the relatively low-profile style of its earlier statements, emphasizing that relevant diplomatic efforts are still being pushed forward.

Liberation Daily · Shanghai Observer News: Based on the information currently available, what role exactly has Pakistan played in this ceasefire?

Ding Long: This conflict has a very wide scope. Some countries that might have participated in mediation—such as Gulf countries—were also affected and therefore find it hard to take on a mediation role.

Pakistan’s relations with both the United States and Iran are relatively stable, and it is also affected by spillover from the conflict, so it has the motivation to step in and fill the “gap” in mediation.

But fundamentally, the key to the ceasefire still lies in the fact that the conflict parties themselves both have willingness to cool things down. Pakistan played a role in pushing it forward, but it is not a decisive factor.

In the next two weeks, its role will still be tested, especially in driving both sides toward compromise and helping facilitate a long-term agreement—there will remain significant difficulty. At the same time, it is also not possible to rule out the possibility that the situation could swing back and forth again or that conflict could resume.

（Source: Shanghai Observer News）