US-Iran cease-fire; Lebanon excluded from agreement: Ask your questions to our co-editor-in-chief Anthony Samrani

Donald Trump promised Tuesday night that an “entire civilization” would “die” if an agreement with Iran could not be reached.

One hour before his ultimatum ran out, at 8 p.m. Washington time, Pakistan announced that Washington, Tehran, and their allies had agreed to a cease-fire “everywhere,” including in Lebanon.

On that last point, hopes were quickly dashed when Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Lebanon was "not included" in the agreement.

As stipulated by the agreement, Iran agreed to immediately open the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for halting Israeli-American airstrikes.

“There will be a lot of positive actions! Huge sums of money will be earned. Iran can begin the process of reconstruction,” the U.S. president reacted on his Truth Social platform. Unsurprisingly, both parties are claiming victory.

Nevertheless, the road ahead remains fraught with obstacles. Over the next two weeks, both sides will try to agree on a plan for lasting peace. Iran has already shared its proposal, which notably includes Washington agreeing to uranium enrichment, as well as the lifting of all sanctions against it. The talks do not therefore “mean an end to the war,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reminded.

Given this still-unclear situation, a host of questions arise: Does the cease-fire have a chance of holding? Does this development mark the beginning of an escalation of Israeli operations in Lebanon? What would the United States and Iran be willing to accept to end the war?

Ask your questions to our co-editor-in-chief Anthony Samrani in the comments section of this article (if you are a subscriber) or by email, at this address: livechatolj@lorientlejour.com

He will answer your questions here, this Wednesday, April 8, at 1 p.m. (Lebanon time).

See you soon!