Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the state of the ceasefire between the US and Iran

Donald Trump says all US forces in the Middle East are staying in place and loading up until a 'real agreement' is reached. 

The two-week ceasefire announced yesterday appears fragile - and Iran's keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed in response to Israel's continued deadly attacks on Lebanon. 

Negotiations on a longer-term peace agreement are expected in Pakistan this week. 

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has criticised the ten-point plan - and concerns have been raised.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barriso Per Senior political correspondence with us Alo Bari. Good afternoon, Heather. Okay,
So Caroline Leavitt is doing what was always going to
be done, which was to tell the Iranians, of course,
we're going to have.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
To not accept all of your ten points.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Well, it was incredible, wasn't it, Because we're all rather
excited yesterday when the cease fire was an outstall Taco
Trump did it, and you know, the ceasefire was violated
within ours of and tension certainty remains in the Middle East,
the Strait of Horners that was reportedly closed again after

(00:34):
Israel attack Lebanon. Now we learned that Netto isn't bound
by any cease fire, so he can continue to bomb Lebanon,
although he's I think he's come to a private agreement
with Trump. Israel has also previously said that Lebanon isn't included,
so there's a problem there. The Iran backed military militant

(00:58):
group his Bella say that had fired rockets towards in
Israel in response to the violation of the seas fire.
It goes on. So the twenty eight year old White
House Press Secretary Carolyn Livett, she brought us up to
date with the way things stand today issues.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
What they're saying publicly is different. Privately, we have seen
an uptick of traffic in the strait today, and I
will reiterate the President's expectation and demand that the Strait
of Her Moose is reopened immediately, quickly and safely. That
is his expectation. It has been relayed to him privately
that that is what's taking place in These reports publicly

(01:38):
are false. I think it was a very very strong
threat from the President of the United States that led
the Iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask
for a ceasefire and agree to reopening the Strait of
Her Moose. So it was a very strong threat that
led to results. The insinuation by anyone in this room
that Iran somehow has the moral high ground over the
United States of America is insulting. Iran was originally put

(02:00):
forward a ten point plan that was fundamentally unserious, unacceptable,
and completely discarded. It was literally thrown in the garbage
by President Trump and his negotiating team. Many outlets in
this room have falsely reported on that plan as being
acceptable to the United States and that is false.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
You refer to that ten point plan yesterday. Didn't you
hear that? Yeah, but you did say it was rubbish
because I'd never accept because I mean, who would say
that like that. That's not accepted. But I'll tell you
there was. She got a lot of feedback during that
press conference because clearly a lot of a lot of
people that were at the conference, and it's a very
large press conference. I've been in that room in the

(02:42):
White House, and you know, people were I think quite
concerned about the wiping out of civilization, you know, by
Trump when he said that it was so unpresidential and
so un American. Move on, that's well, know, there's got
to be some criticism of a comment like that, even

(03:03):
our own Prime minister. Trust talk to me even move on,
talk to me about the National Party's comms advice. What
do you make of this? Oh, it was me make
cam Slater that obviously had a leak of this. Basically,
I mean I understand this well. You basically write like

(03:26):
all New Zealanders speak straight up, honest and human, embrace modern,
multicultural the nation, multicultural nation that we live in, and
read it aloud. If it sounds false or forced then
change it. In fact, that's why my voice is always
husky before I come into this studio, Heather, because I'm

(03:48):
reading it aloud everything that I say, and unfortunately, well
I always get it right. Of course, you've got to
keep it plain, and that's a good example of what
I do. It use every day language with no unnecessary jargon,
and you show humanity and that's something that maybe Donald

(04:08):
Trump could take on board. You use a conversational, friendly
tone that's approachable. Now, that's just some of the advice
that the national MPs have got. So from here on in,
you're going to hear a very well rehearsed and well
behaved bunch of people.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
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