Fragile truce between the US and Iran: optimism in Washington, caution in Europe and persistent tensions in the region

The announcement of a two-week truce between the United States and Iran has generated contrasting reactions internationally, from optimism expressed by the American president to warnings about the fragility of the agreement and the risks of a new escalation.

• Trump: "An important day for world peace"

President Donald Trump described the moment as "an important day for world peace", claiming that Iran is "fed up" with the conflict, reports CNN. The leader from Washington announced that the US will help resume traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, an essential route through which approximately 20% of the world's oil transits. Trump also suggested: US involvement in securing maritime transit, support for the reconstruction of Iran, potential significant economic benefits.

The statements came shortly after the US leader conditioned the truce on the "complete, immediate and safe opening” of this waterway.

• Tehran: limited and conditional opening

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed that transit through Hormuz could be resumed temporarily, but only in coordination with the Iranian armed forces, taking into account existing technical limitations. The blockade in the area has severely affected global energy flows since the beginning of the conflict.

European reactions are marked by caution. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares declared on RNS radio that the world was "on a dangerous step” from a catastrophe. He harshly criticized the US leader's rhetoric: he described the ultimatum as "unacceptable for humanity” and warned that the threats could lead to uncontrollable escalations. Although he welcomed the temporary ceasefire, Albares stressed that: "it is only about two weeks, not a long period."

• Uncertainty over the extension of the ceasefire

The situation remains unclear regarding the inclusion of Lebanon in the agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that military operations would continue on this front, while other international statements suggested the opposite. Israel continued its attacks: artillery bombardments in southern Lebanon, drone strikes on some towns, an attack in Saida that resulted in civilian casualties, according to the Lebanese authorities.

• Domestic criticism in Israel

Opposition leader Yair Lapid harshly criticized the government's handling of the conflict, describing the situation as a "political disaster," the BBC reports. "Israel was not even present at the negotiating table when decisions were made about the essence of our national security," the opposition leader said. "The army did everything it was asked to do, the public showed incredible resilience, but Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically and did not achieve any of the goals he set himself," Lapid said.

• Reactions on the streets of Tehran

Crowds of Iranians flooded Tehran's Enghelab Square on Wednesday morning, waving flags pledging unconditional loyalty to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week truce that has moved the two countries away from the brink of catastrophic escalation, AFP reports. Some chanted hostile slogans on the streets of the Iranian capital: "Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromise!", while others burned American and Israeli flags.

• A precarious balance

The two-week truce appears as a temporary solution in an extremely volatile context: persistent regional tensions, divergent positions between international actors, high risks of resumption of hostilities. Although the announcement of the ceasefire offers a moment of respite, the major differences between the parties and the lack of a long-term agreement maintain uncertainty. In the absence of solid negotiations, the truce risks remaining just a pause in a conflict with global implications.