Trump Announces Two-Week Ceasefire with Iran Following Pakistan-Led Mediation

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 8, 2026, less than two hours before his self-imposed deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face what he had warned would be devastating strikes on civilian infrastructure. The deal was mediated by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, who helped bring the two sides to an agreement. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran would cease counterattacks and provide safe passage through the strait if attacks against Iran stopped. Sharif announced on X that he had invited Iranian and U.S. delegations to meet in Islamabad on Friday to begin formal negotiations. The announcement triggered a sharp relief rally in financial markets, with oil prices falling, stocks surging, and the dollar weakening. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump had warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if his demands were not met, making the ceasefire an abrupt reversal within hours.

Israel carves out Lebanon, Hezbollah pauses fire anyway The ceasefire's geographic scope immediately became a point of contention, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating early Wednesday that the truce did not include Lebanon, where Israeli ground and air operations against Hezbollah would continue. Despite Netanyahu's position, three Lebanese sources close to Hezbollah told Reuters the group halted fire on northern Israel and on Israeli troops in Lebanon in the early hours of Wednesday. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had stated publicly that the two-week ceasefire covered the entire Middle East region, including Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed it had suspended strikes against Iran, saying it was "in a position of maximum defensive alert," but simultaneously issued a new evacuation order for a southern Lebanese city, signaling imminent strikes there. French President Emmanuel Macron declared Lebanon's inclusion in the ceasefire "indispensable" and called for reactivating a peace process that includes both the United States and France to strengthen Lebanon's armed forces. Lebanon's army urged displaced families to delay returning home, citing ongoing Israeli attacks and unexploded ordnance.

Tehran claims victory, keeps "finger on the trigger" Iran's Supreme National Security Council portrayed the ceasefire as a triumph, describing it as a "historical and crushing defeat" for the United States and Israel, according to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV. The Council stated that Washington had been forced to accept a ten-point Iranian proposal that includes a permanent ceasefire, the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions, Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of uranium enrichment, and the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region. At the same time, the Council warned it kept "the finger on the trigger" against "any error by the enemy" and maintained "total distrust" toward Washington, emphasizing that the truce "does not mean the end of the war." Celebrations broke out in Tehran following the announcement, though they came after scenes of Iranians forming human chains around energy facilities in anticipation of Trump's threatened strikes. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed the role in March 2026 after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of the conflict, has not issued a direct public statement on the ceasefire according to available reports. Danish shipping giant Maersk welcomed the announcement but cautioned that the deal "does not yet provide full maritime security" and that available details remained limited.

The U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, designated Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, with strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei was subsequently appointed as his successor on March 8, 2026. A new war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon broke out on March 2, 2026, according to Reuters reporting. The conflict has spread across nearly a dozen countries in its six weeks of fighting.

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Europe welcomes pause, eyes Hormuz security mission European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement as a "much-needed de-escalation" and thanked Pakistan for its mediation role, calling for negotiations to continue toward a lasting solution. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the deal as "a step back to move away from the threat after weeks of escalation" and said it created space for diplomacy. Macron said France was coordinating with roughly fifteen countries, including partners in Asia, Europe, and the region, to plan a defensive mission in the Strait of Hormuz to facilitate the resumption of shipping traffic once conditions were met. 20 (percent) — share of world crude oil trade passing through the Strait of Hormuz The war in its sixth week has killed more than 5,000 people across nearly a dozen countries, including more than 1,600 civilians in Iran and more than 1,500 people in Lebanon, according to tallies from government sources and rights groups cited by Reuters. The Iranian proposal entering Friday's Islamabad talks includes conditions Washington had previously rejected, among them acceptance of a national nuclear enrichment program and a demand that the United States withdraw combat forces from the Middle East.

„I thank Pakistan for its mediation work. Now it is fundamental that negotiations continue to reach a lasting solution to this conflict.” — Ursula von der Leyen via Deutsche Welle

„The bombings and the occupation of the country undertaken by Israel cannot constitute a lasting response for Lebanon, which in his view cannot be left out of the ceasefire.” — Emmanuel Macron via eldiario.es