Abhishek Vij
The deadline for the first ceasefire between the US and Iran was about to expire on Wednesday morning, April 22nd. However, President Trump announced a unilateral extension of the ceasefire. However, no end date was announced for this extension. Trump stated that the ceasefire would become permanent once negotiations with Iran reached a breakthrough. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the epicenter of the conflict, has not yet been lifted.
Both countries continue their respective blockades. The blockade has halted the movement of cargo ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides are making increasingly strenuous claims daily. On Wednesday, reports emerged that three ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz were fired upon. Two were flying under the Liberian flag, while one was flying under the Panamanian flag. A cargo ship flying the Liberian flag was heading towards India and was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. It is alleged that this container ship, headed for Mundra Port in Gujarat, India, was transiting without permission. Earlier, while announcing the ceasefire extension, Trump stated that the ceasefire was extended at the request of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asif Munir.
If talks with Iran fail, the US is prepared to teach Iran a lesson. Iran, on the other hand, is unwilling to budge. Iran has addressed Trump, saying, “We are not afraid of you. If you attack, you will face the consequences.” Iran itself has refused to participate in the talks. Its condition is that the US first lift its blockade on Hormuz.
Reports are coming from Iran that Pakistan’s mediation role is being condemned there. Iranian media says that Pakistan is not pro-peace but pro-America. The conditions for peace of both sides remain the same. Trump himself has admitted that the blockade on both sides is causing a loss of $500 million daily. The blockade of Hormuz has become a major issue between the two sides. Both sides are not ready to budge even an inch. France has strongly condemned this deadlock and blamed America’s stubbornness.
Meanwhile, the affected countries, led by Britain, have again met on the issue of opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite Trump’s boastful claims, America perhaps needs this war to end even more. Trump sees his popularity rapidly declining in the US. Therefore, he wants to exit this war as a victor. The problem is that Iran, which has already lost a lot, also wants this facade. Perhaps this is why celebrations erupted on the streets of Iran after Trump’s unilateral ceasefire announcement. People symbolically displayed ballistic missiles capable of hitting Iran.
Overall, the situation is such that the war between the two sides is neither ongoing nor ending. This situation is adversely affecting many countries. Oil and gas supplies have plummeted in India and other countries. As a result, supply chain disruptions are creating the same situation as before, and people may once again be forced to stand in long lines. The big question is when will peace talks resume, and when will this meaningless war end? No one knows