U.S. diplomat says Iran ceasefire deal details 'more elusive,' U.S. working to make it 'lasting, effective'

▲ This photo, taken on Dec. 11, 2025, shows U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau speaking during a reception on the eve of the Pax Silica summit at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington. (Yonhap)

US diplomat-Iran ceasefire

U.S. diplomat says Iran ceasefire deal details 'more elusive,' U.S. working to make it 'lasting, effective'

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 9 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday that the details of a ceasefire deal with Iran have proven a "little more elusive," but stressed ongoing U.S. efforts to achieve a "lasting and effective" pause in the war, as a dispute continues over whether the deal covers Lebanon.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau made the remarks during a forum hosted by the Atlantic Council as concerns have risen over the implementation of the ceasefire amid Israel's strikes on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Iran's continued restrictions on commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

"We are trying to have a lasting and effective ceasefire. I think that's something that both sides have expressed a willingness for," Landau said.

"It has proven a little more elusive in the details as to how far does that extend, who does that cover, what theaters does that cover ... But we are in talks, as we speak, to try to nail all that down."

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the two-week ceasefire deal with Iran, which he said is "subject to" Iran's "complete, immediate and safe" opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway responsible for about a fifth of the world's oil supply.

A major bone of contention in its implementation is whether it includes Lebanon.

Both the U.S. and Israel argue that Lebanon is not part of the deal, while Iran reportedly insists that the ceasefire includes the entire region. Israel launched massive deadly strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday, drawing the ire of Iran.

The United States and Iran are set to have the first round of their negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday (local time) with an aim to end the war.

The U.S. delegation includes Vice President JD Vance; Steve Witkoff, the special envoy to the Middle East; and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, according to the White House.

The Iranian side will include Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr; Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the parliamentary speaker; and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Russia's TASS news agency.

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