A two-headed agreement, where Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are working toward the same goal and seemingly in opposite directions. While Trump is trying to involve NATO in action against Iran for the reopening of Hormuz, justifying it by claiming it is for the security of NATO countries and that no one should pay tolls for the passage of ships, J.D. Vance is moving forward, at least on paper, with the talks that begin today in Islamabad.
“The United States intends to negotiate with Iran only on the condition that the Strait of Hormuz remains open,” said White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt. According to Leavitt, Iran has presented the United States with a “completely different” ten-point peace plan, which is being used as a basis for negotiations. Leavitt also confirmed that US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Vice President J.D. Vance will travel to Islamabad for the talks.
The Iranian side will be represented by a delegation led by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to ISNA news agency; he is Trump’s favorite. Among Trump’s statements contradicting the agreement’s 10-point commitments: “Iran will not enrich uranium; the United States will work with Iran to remove enriched uranium.” Without wishing to emphasize that Trump has been saying for a year that Iran’s uranium stockpiles have been destroyed, it should be noted that Iran has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to abandon uranium enrichment for civilian purposes; Khamenei had issued a fatwa banning nuclear weapons for military purposes.
And again: “Let’s be honest, the ceasefire is just a short pause. All forces are ready for a full-scale withdrawal, if necessary,” said Dan Kaine, Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff. CNN also stated that “there are no official written documents on the ceasefire agreement.” Fox News: “None of Trump’s declared war objectives have been achieved.” Once again contradicting White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt: “The United States achieved its main military objectives in Iran in 38 days, compared to the originally planned period of 4-6 weeks.”
Another sign of a flaw in these agreements is the Lebanese issue, which was initially part of the agreement but then became a misunderstanding, according to Trump and Vance: “There was a misunderstanding; the Iranians believed Lebanon was included in the ceasefire, but no promise to that effect was ever made.” But when Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei declared that the Israeli attack on Lebanon constituted a violation of the ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran, and that this would effectively nullify the agreements, and his voice was joined by all the most important Iranian officials, a way was found to reinstate Lebanon in the agreements. On April 9, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Lebanon had requested direct agreements, which were granted. Let’s hope they aren’t similar to those signed previously.
Returning to Vance: “The agreements reached include an immediate ceasefire and the opening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.” But Iran has said that Hormuz will be reopened on its terms. Therefore, “All US ships, aircraft, and military personnel will remain stationed in and around Iran” until the agreement is implemented, Trump announced. “If for any reason that doesn’t happen, which is extremely unlikely, then the firefights will begin, more intense, more sophisticated, and more powerful than ever,” Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social. Training has been ongoing in Tripoli since April 2, and the night before the agreements were signed, more than 50 targets were attacked on Kharg Island, a favorite of Trump.
Iran has repeatedly stated that the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be open, and that passage through it will require a toll of one dollar per barrel, which would cost approximately $2 million per tanker, which Iran will split with Oman. Trump has said he wants to form a Venezuela-style joint venture, and one wonders why a state—Iran—that has declared it still has 15,000 missiles and 45,000 drones would accept such a proposal.
Meanwhile, Trump has humiliated NATO once again, and Mark Rutte “encouraged” him. Thus, out of nowhere, so to speak, a British-led coalition of 30 countries has emerged to guarantee passage through Hormuz.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has begun his tour of the Persian Gulf countries to understand how to carry out the Hormuz mission, given that he is supposed to lead it but is doomed to fail to have any ships, damaged by the Iranians. And so, while waiting for the Italian response in this sense, read on For example, the deployment of the Italian Guardia di Finanza’s high-seas component in a mission sanctioned by the UN and EU, amid growing discontent in some parts of the region over London’s alleged slowness in responding to the Middle East conflict. Starmer is visiting Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Among Italy’s hot topics, the Italian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome to protest an incident in which Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers fired a warning shot at Italian UNIFIL soldiers in southern Lebanon. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated that “Italy demands full respect for UNIFIL’s role.” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed solidarity with the Lebanese government “in light of the unjustified and unacceptable actions it is suffering at the hands of Israel,” adding: “We want to prevent a second Gaza.” Meanwhile, the Spanish Foreign Ministry has summoned the head of relations at the Israeli embassy in Madrid to protest an incident in which IDF soldiers detained a Spanish UNIFIL soldier.
Spain has made its choice, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albarez said: “We are reopening our embassy in Tehran.” And perhaps the decision is premature, especially in light of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that Ukrainian anti-drone teams will continue their work in the Middle East: they number approximately 200 men.
Turkish President Erdogan also had a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump. During the conversation, the two leaders discussed ongoing events in the Middle East, particularly the ceasefire announced in Iran. The Turkish leader, expressing satisfaction with the ceasefire, stated that, after 40 rather difficult and challenging days for the entire world, it is imperative to make the most of the two-week window of opportunity to reach a lasting peace agreement and prevent the process from derailing. President Erdogan emphasized that Turkey will continue to support efforts to find a solution, undertaken jointly with friendly and fraternal countries, primarily Pakistan. It should be remembered that Turkey, along with Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine, are working on an alternative to Hormuz that would bring oil directly to the Mediterranean, making Turkey a major energy hub, a dream Turkey has nurtured since 2008. But this takes time.
And now, a look at the ongoing military scenarios in the Middle East and Western Asia, updated at 5:30 PM on April 9. Several US Air Force tankers flew to Israel on the night of April 8. A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III strategic military transport aircraft arrived in the Middle East in the last few hours. A Boeing 747 from Atlanta to Rzeszow also arrived. They were likely carrying missiles for the HIMARS MLRS system and F-16 fighter jets. A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, assigned to Marine Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, lands aboard the USS Tripoli (LHA-7) at an unspecified location in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, April 6, 2026.
At approximately 10:00 a.m. Italian time on April 8, the Israeli military announced that it had suspended strikes against Iran in accordance with the country’s leadership’s directives and was maintaining a high state of combat readiness. Ben Gurion Airport is preparing to fully reopen, according to the Israel Airport Authority.
On April 9, at 5:30 p.m., after shooting and killing more than 100 people in Lebanon and carrying out a series of heavy attacks in Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced direct negotiations with Lebanon: “In light of Lebanon’s repeated requests to initiate direct negotiations with Israel, I yesterday instructed the government to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.” “The negotiations will focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon. Israel also welcomes today’s call by the Lebanese Prime Minister for the demilitarization of Beirut.”
The direct negotiations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will be led by Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, according to Channel 12, citing a senior Israeli official.
Syria is reopening its airspace and resuming operations at its international airport, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced the opening of Iraqi airspace starting April 8.
The Kuwaiti military reported heavy material damage to oil facilities, power plants, and desalination plants following a recent wave of attacks.
Bahrain reopened its airspace for the first time since February 28, after closing it due to regional events, Reuters reports.
For the second consecutive day, the UKMTO reported no attacks in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, or the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz remained virtually blocked during all of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Iran also mocked Trump: “We’ve been writing to you since the Stone Age and we control the Strait of Hormuz.” As recently as 9:30 PM Italian time on April 8, the Fars News Agency reported: “Strait of Hormuz completely closed, oil tankers turning back.”
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt stated that “reports that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz due to continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon are false, claiming there was an ‘increase in traffic’ in the strait today, despite maritime monitoring showing only two oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.” Leavitt therefore argued that satellite maritime tracking is showing false data. According to CNN, citing maritime surveillance data, only about 5% of pre-hostility maritime traffic volume is currently passing through the strait. According to the broadcaster, Iran is reportedly demanding up to $2 million per vessel. It is not known whether any shipowners have paid such a toll.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered the Iranian armed forces, including the Artesh units and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to cease all further attacks against Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, according to Iranian television and radio reports.
Although Iran has not responded directly to Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera: “We will punish Israel for violating the ceasefire in Lebanon.”
The East-West pipeline in Saudi Arabia, which transports 7 million barrels per day from the Persian Gulf to export ports on the Red Sea, was attacked on the afternoon of April 8. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
We don’t know what the ceasefire really means, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq says, “but American tanker planes and reconnaissance drones are still in the air, and the United Arab Emirates is urgently transporting weapons and ammunition.”
On April 7, the United States and Israel carried out at least 135 strikes against Iran, the highest daily number since February 28. This brings the total number of strikes to over 3,000, including at least 934 in Tehran, 246 in Isfahan, 215 in Hormozgan, and 185 in Khuzestan. As of April 6:30 PM, air defenses were still active in Tehran.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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