IRAN: NOT WHAT WE AGREED TO: No sooner than President Donald Trump trumpeted “A big day for World Peace!” did the two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan begin to fracture over a dispute of whether the truce applied to Israel’s bombing of Lebanon, and questions about whether Iran’s autonomous regional commanders even got the word to stop shooting.
In a statement posted on X, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the U.S. of violating three of the conditions in its 10-point plan, including its demand for the right to uranium enrichment and its understanding that the ceasefire would apply to Lebanon. Ghalibaf cited a post by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in which the “United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon.”
Speaking to reporters in Hungary, Vice President JD Vance put it all down to a “legitimate misunderstanding.”
“I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t. We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case,” Vance said. “What we said is that the ceasefire would be focused on Iran and the ceasefire would be focused on America’s allies, both Israel and the Gulf Arab states.”
“Look, 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. “We think that would be dumb, but that’s their choice.”
“The strategic patience of Iran has limits. A ceasefire is not a blank check for the Zionist regime to continue its aggressions under the cover of mediation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today. “Israel is using the pause in hostilities to reposition itself to strike strategic targets, which constitutes a blatant violation of the agreed terms. Any collapse of this fragile truce will fall directly on the credibility of U.S. commitments in the region.”
VANCE CALLS US-IRAN CEASEFIRE DEAL A ‘FRAGILE TRUCE’
TRUMP BLAMES FAKE NEWS: At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s initial proposed 10-point plan was “fundamentally unserious, unacceptable,” and “was literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump.”
And Leavitt flatly ruled out Iran’s suggestion that it had a right to enrichment. “The President’s red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed, and the idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd.” The main source of the confusion is that there have been multiple versions of the 10-point plan that Trump said on Tuesday he believed “is a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
“The Failing New York Times and Fake News CNN each reported a totally FAKE TEN POINT PLAN on the Iran negotiations which was meant to discredit the people involved in the peace process,” Trump posted on Truth Social last night.” All ten points were a made up HOAX – EVIL LOSERS!!”
Yesterday morning, Trump posted, “There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust.’”
Asked at yesterday’s briefing if Iran had “given any indication that they would turn it over,” Leavitt replied, “They have. They have.”
“We hope it will be through diplomacy,” she said.
TRUMP RAGES AGAINST IRAN AGREEMENT LEAKS AS CEASEFIRE HANGS BY A THREAD
THE STRAIT SCOOP: Meanwhile, the dispute has seen Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tightening its control of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming to have mined the main channel, which is forcing ship traffic to use a narrow bypass that takes ships into Iranian waters, where the IRGC collects tolls in either Chinese Yuan or cryptocurrency.
Leavitt said the ceasefire agreement requires a “free” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, without any tolls, as was the case before the war.
“Despite all of the fake rhetoric to the contrary – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS and, the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE,” Trump posted late yesterday evening. “In the meantime our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest.”
In an interview with ITV posted on X, Iran’s deputy foreign minister insisted that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all civilian shipping and that reports it is closed are wrong. “However, due to mines as a consequence of the war, all vessels need to liaise with Iran to be guided along safe routes,” he said. “Anybody who communicates with the Iranian authority has got permission to pass.”
“We’ll be hanging around,” Pete Hegseth said at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing. “We’re not going anywhere, and we’re going to make sure Iran complies with the ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the table and makes a deal. So we’ll stay put, stay ready, stay vigilant.”
In his Truth Social Post, Trump said U.S. forces will remain in place “until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.”
“If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the “Shootin’ Starts,” bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before,” Trump threatened.
TRUMP SAYS US MILITARY WILL REMAIN ‘IN, AND AROUND, IRAN’ UNTIL ‘REAL AGREEMENT’ IS REACHED
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‘THEY WERE TESTED, AND THEY FAILED’: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt hinted that the White House press corps might hear from President Trump after his private meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, but there was no joint appearance.
Before the meeting, Leavitt said she had a direct quote from Trump to share with the press about the NATO allies: “They were tested, and they failed.”
After the meeting, Rutte hoofed it over to 820 1st St. NE, where he was debriefed by CNN’s Jake Tapper, who asked the obvious question: “How was the meeting? Did he say he’s withdrawing?”
“Well, let me be absolutely clear. He is clearly disappointed, and with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte said, avoiding a direct answer. “But at the same time, I was also able to point to the fact that the large majority of European nations have been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights, with making sure that they live up to the commitments.”
Tapper tried again. “Did the president say he was going to try to withdraw from NATO, or at the very least, not support NATO as much as other presidents have?”
And Rutte again took the diplomatic approach, indicating he used what is usually the most effective weapon in influencing Trump, effusive flattery. “I also pointed him to the fact that it was his leadership, which brought about the Hague spending commitment, so the 5%, which is a transformational change in NATO. This is a transformational legacy he leaves behind.”
In an all-caps Truth Social post after his meeting with Rutte, who he has called “a good guy,” Trump again expressed his displeasure with NATO’s failure to join the Iran war, and in particular its efforts to block his planned illegal annexation of Greenland.
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” Trump posted.
Rutte said in his discussions that he tried to point Trump to the positive. “Let’s not forget there’s Kier Starmer, the British prime minister, who’s bringing together now a coalition of over 30 countries, even over 40, but 34 participated yesterday in a planning meeting with military leaders to make sure that free sea lanes being able to use the Strait of Hormuz going forward, it will be possible,” Rutte said he told Trump.
TRUMP RIPS INTO NATO AFTER RUTTE MEETING, CALLS GREENLAND ‘POORLY RUN PIECE OF ICE’
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY, AND DON’T SAY: At yesterday’s Pentagon briefing, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine reeled off an impressive list of the accomplishments of the 39-day campaign so far. The U.S. has hit over 13,000 targets, inflicting a devastating demolition of Iran’s navy, missile forces, and its factories for building future munitions.
“We attacked, along with our partners, approximately 90% of their weapons factories. Every factory that produced Shahed one-way attack drones was struck. Every factory that produces the guidance systems that go into those drones was struck. Their missile defense industrial base is shattered, with more than 80% of their missile facilities gone, as well as their solid rocket motor production capability,” Caine said.
It is a level of destruction that is unparalleled in modern times, but with each number, there is a converse inference. When Caine says that the U.S. has destroyed approximately 80% Iran’s air defense systems, it means maybe 20% has survived. Enough as we have seen to take down a U.S. fighter jet.
When Caine says “half of the IRGC navy’s small attack boats” are at the bottom of the ocean, it means the other half can still pose a threat.
Caine said that after more than 700 strikes against naval mine targets, “we had assessed that we destroyed more than 95% of their naval mines.” The remaining 5% are enough to stop traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
In the world of asymmetric warfare, small numbers can have an outsize effect, which is why it is dangerous to declare the operation a “historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a capital V,” until the other side gives up.
Caine did give some other numbers that help capture the nature of combat and the dedication of American service members.
“This is gritty and unforgiving business. It’s chaotic, it’s hot, it’s dark, it’s unpredictable, and there’s always unknowns, and our people proudly walk into those unknowns and continue forward,” Caine said. “Along the way, we consumed more than six million meals, and by my estimate, more than 950,000 gallons of coffee, two million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine, but I am not saying that we have a problem.”
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THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Trump says US military will remain ‘in, and around, Iran’ until ‘real agreement’ is reached
Washington Examiner: Trump’s Iran ceasefire hinges on Israel halting attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon
Washington Examiner: Trump rages against Iran agreement leaks as ceasefire hangs by a thread
Washington Examiner: Vance attempts to clear up confusion around three Iran war peace proposals
Washington Examiner: Leavitt says the closure of Strait of Hormuz is ‘completely unacceptable’ and ‘false’
Washington Examiner: Iran indicated it will hand over uranium as part of ceasefire agreement: Leavitt
Washington Examiner: Vance calls US-Iran ceasefire deal a ‘fragile truce’
Washington Examiner: Hegseth touts ‘overwhelming victory’ in Iran as military takes backseat during ceasefire
Washington Examiner: Lindsey Graham wants Congress to review Iran ceasefire: ‘Some troubling aspects’
Washington Examiner: How Pakistan wooed Trump and became key Iran broker
Washington Examiner: China emerges as key player in Iran ceasefire negotiations
Washington Examiner: Where does US-Iran ceasefire deal leave Israel?
Washington Examiner: How Iran has changed from the start of the war until the ceasefire
Washington Examiner: Hungary claims ‘intelligence services’ tapped foreign minister’s phone
Washington Examiner: House Democrats see momentum for reining in Trump’s Iran war powers
Washington Examiner: Hungarian success in befriending American conservatives on display as Orban faces down possible defeat
Washington Examiner: US oil prices fall over 18% after Trump agrees to two-week ceasefire with Iran
Washington Examiner: Trump rips into NATO after Rutte meeting, calls Greenland ‘poorly run piece of ice’
Washington Examiner: Ex-Fort Bragg employee charged with leaking Delta Force secrets to journalist
Washington Examiner: US to automatically register eligible men for military draft starting in December
Wall Street Journal: Iran Tightens Its Grip on Hormuz Despite Cease-Fire
AP: Iran publishes chart showing it may have put sea mines in Strait of Hormuz as shaky ceasefire holds
The Hill: Lebanon May Pose a Stumbling Block in Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire
Washington Post: Trump Administration Expected to Slash Iran War Funding Request
Air & Space Forces Magazine: As US Announces Ceasefire with Iran, Pentagon Says Forces Will ‘Stay Ready’
DefenseScoop: Pentagon Brass Tout Destruction of Iran’s Drone Arsenal, but Questions Linger About What’s Left
Breaking Defense: France to Increase Defense Spending by $42 Billion, Mulls New Tank Effort
Air & Space Forces Magazine: A New Device Gives the A-10 Warthog Another Way to Refuel
The War Zone: Eurofighter Typhoon Test Fires Laser-Guided Counter-Drone Rockets
Breaking Defense: AFCENT Awards Kraus Hamdani $270M for Solar-Powered, Long-Endurance Drones
Defense One: Spy Agencies Eye New Anthropic AI Model That Spots Cyber Flaws
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Tanker, Airlift Fleet Could Get a ‘Moving Map App’ to Boost Battlespace Awareness
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Report Highlights Global Trend Toward ‘Bodyguard’ Satellites
Task & Purpose: US Troops Downed ‘2 Million’ Energy Drinks During Iran War, Top General Says
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | APRIL 9
10:30 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion on a new report: “Rebuilding America’s Air Force: Balancing the Air Force’s Combat Force for Peer Conflict,” with Lt. Gen. Jason Armagost, deputy commander, Air Force Global Strike Command; Mark Gunzinger, director of future concepts and capability assessments, Mitchell Institute; and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/
4 p.m. 2121 K St. NW — International Institute for Strategic Studies discussion: “What’s Next for Cuba?” with Daniel Erikson, senior adviser at Covington & Burling; Ricardo Herrero, executive director, Cuban Study Group; and Michael Carpenter, IISS senior fellow https://www.iiss.org/events/2026/04/whats-next-for-cuba
5 p.m. 1521 16th St. NW — Institute of World Politics discussion: “The Realities of Iran,” with William Murray, former senior CIA operations officer https://www.iwp.edu/events/the-realities-of-iran
FRIDAY | APRIL 10
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “The Hypersonic Imperative: Restoring U.S. Advantage in a Contested Battlespace,” with Michael White, former principal director for hypersonics at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/the-hypersonic-imperative-restoring-u-s-advantage
11 a.m. 1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute discussion: “Iran, Hizballah, and Lebanon’s Future,” with Kenneth Pollack, MEI vice president for policy; Matthew Levitt, senior fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and Aram Nerguizian, senior associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/
11:30 a.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual forum, “In the Dark and in Danger: Iran’s Internet Shutdown and Wartime Repression,” with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of technology threats and opportunities at WITNESS; Nazanin Boniadi, human rights advocate, actress, and producer; and Roya Boroumand, co-founder and executive director, Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran https://washingtoninstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 15
3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “FY27 Missile Defense and Missile Defeat Programs and Activities,” with testimony from Marc Berkowitz, assistant secretary of defense for space policy; Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command; Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, direct report program manager for Golden Dome for America; Air Force Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, director, Missile Defense Agency; and Army Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commanding general, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command https://armedservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=6463
