"America can no longer end wars at will," Iran proposes ceasefire conditions

Iran has revealed its ceasefire card amid escalating diplomatic mediation from multiple countries, while warning that passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be regulated, creating new uncertainties for the energy market. According to Global Network, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani stated that Tehran's primary condition for a ceasefire is that "there will be no further acts of aggression," and revealed that several countries, including Russia, have contacted Iran to promote a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the head of Iran's highest military command issued a stern statement, claiming that the United States and Israel "can no longer launch or end wars at will," indicating that Tehran maintains a tough stance despite the unclear prospects for negotiations. Iran's ambassador to China further stated that passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be regulated—though he emphasized that this does not equate to closing the strait. This statement poses a potential threat to the global energy supply chain and may exacerbate expectations of oil price volatility. Primary Condition for Ceasefire: No Further Acts of Aggression Reports indicate that Bagheri Kani stated that amid intensive diplomatic efforts by global leaders, Iran has clearly listed "stopping further aggression" as a prerequisite for initiating a ceasefire. He added that several countries, including Russia, have proactively contacted Iran to seek a de-escalation of the situation. At the bilateral level, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, expressed Iran's readiness to reduce regional tensions, provided that the airspace, territory, and waters of neighboring countries are not used to launch attacks against Iran. The Kremlin also stated on the 9th that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the situation in Iran, with Putin proposing relevant suggestions for quickly ending the conflict surrounding Iran. The commander of Iran's highest military command center, the "Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command," General Abdollahian, issued a strong statement on March 10. He stated: "Today, the United States and Israel can no longer launch wars at will, nor can they end wars at will." Abdollahian also warned that Iran will not be swayed by "psychological warfare and lies," stating that "the will of our leaders, people, and military to take revenge on our mortal enemies is stronger than ever." "Three-Step" Roadmap and Risks of Strait Control According to Xinhua News Agency, on March 9 local time, U.S. President Trump stated that the U.S. military operations against Iran will "soon" come to an end, but "will not" end this week At a press conference held at a golf club in Miami, Florida, Trump stated that oil prices "have not risen significantly as he feared," but the United States is temporarily lifting some oil-related sanctions to ensure adequate oil supply and lower prices. According to Global Network, the Iranian ambassador to China proposed a "three-step" framework to promote de-escalation: The first step is to end the war and achieve a ceasefire. The party that initiated the war should be the first to stop, and it is necessary to take action to force the United States and Israel to immediately cease all military attacks; The second step is to return to the negotiating table. However, since we no longer trust the United States, this step is difficult to achieve and almost impossible to reach unless major world powers and the United Nations Security Council can intervene in the negotiations, play a positive role, provide binding and inviolable guarantees, ensure that no aggression occurs during the dialogue, and establish a lasting and reliable maintenance mechanism for the negotiation results; The third step is for all countries to unite and cooperate to jointly resist unilateralism and promote the development of multilateralism. "On the basis of fully respecting and implementing the above principles, we are willing to resume relevant dialogue," said Ambassador Fazli. What is noteworthy for the market is that the ambassador explicitly stated that the passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be "regulated." The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial oil transportation chokepoint, with the daily transit of crude oil accounting for a significant proportion of global supply. Although the ambassador emphasized that this does not equate to closing the strait, the term "regulated" itself is enough to trigger a repricing of the energy market regarding the risk of supply disruptions