Trump Declares Two-Week Ceasefire with Iran Following 38-Day Military Campaign

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week conditional ceasefire with Iran on April 8, 2026, declaring it "a great day for world peace" and framing the agreement as the direct result of a 38-day military campaign that, according to Washington, shattered Iranian offensive capability. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Iran had agreed to halt uranium enrichment entirely and that the United States would work with Tehran to "unearth and remove all deeply buried nuclear 'dust'" left by earlier bombing strikes. The truce was brokered by Pakistan, with high-level face-to-face negotiations between the two countries set to begin there over the weekend. Trump also announced that his administration was already in discussions with Iran over tariff and sanctions relief, and stated that "many" of the 15 points in his ceasefire proposal had already been accepted by Tehran.

The U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, and resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali's son, was subsequently appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The conflict followed years of escalating tensions over Iran's nuclear program and its support for regional proxy forces. A prior Israeli-Iranian military confrontation, referred to in reporting as the Twelve-Day War of June 2025, had already targeted Iranian military and nuclear-linked infrastructure before the broader U.S.-led offensive began.

Trump posted a separate warning on Truth Social eight minutes after his ceasefire announcement, threatening to impose a 50 (%) — tariff on goods from countries supplying weapons to Iran tariff on all goods sold to the United States by any country that supplies military weapons to Iran, with no exclusions or exemptions. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt all appeared publicly to reinforce the administration's framing of the truce as a military victory. Caine stated at the Pentagon that U.S. forces had fulfilled three objectives set by Trump: destroying Iranian ballistic missile and drone capability, sinking its navy, and dismantling its defense industrial base. Trump also confirmed that Vice President JD Vance would not attend the Pakistan negotiations, citing security reasons. „The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined is undergoing what will be a very productive Regime Change! There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States, in collaboration with Iran, will unearth and remove all deep-buried Nuclear 'Dust' (B-2 bombers).” — Donald Trump via SAPO

Washington's victory narrative faces sharp outside scrutiny The White House's portrayal of the ceasefire as an unambiguous triumph drew immediate skepticism from analysts and independent observers. Researcher Hisham Bustani, affiliated with the Center for International Studies at Sciences Po in Paris, told RTVE Noticias that "none" of the United States' stated objectives had been achieved: there had been no regime change, Iran had not fully lost its weapons capability, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was not unconditional. „In view of the fact that the United States has declared a ceasefire without any visible prior negotiation with Iran, all these factors could be interpreted as an Iranian victory.” — Hisham Bustani via RTVE.es Retired Spanish Admiral Juan Rodríguez Garat, analyzing the agreement for LaSexta, offered a different reading, arguing that both sides had been forced to the table because "neither has real military means to continue the war further" — with the United States having run out of targets and Iran having nearly exhausted its missile stockpiles. RTVE Noticias noted that Washington was using Iran's own 10-point counterproposal, which Tehran had previously offered in response to the U.S. plan, as the working basis for negotiations — a concession the outlet described as clashing with the administration's official victory narrative.

Ceasefire holds uneasily as Gulf attacks continue Despite the announcement, the ceasefire appeared fragile within hours of taking effect, with reports of continued attacks in the Gulf region. Kuwait reported an "intense wave of attacks" by Iran that damaged oil facilities, power stations, and desalination plants, according to Kuwaiti military statements cited by RFI. Missile and drone fire was also reported in the United Arab Emirates. Iran said it launched those strikes in response to prior bombings against its own oil infrastructure. JD Vance publicly warned that the ceasefire was "fragile," while Iran's Revolutionary Guards stated they maintained "the finger on the trigger" and had "no confidence" in Washington's promises. Two vessels were reported to have crossed the Strait of Hormuz following the announcement, though distrust between the two sides remained evident. The White House acknowledged that Iran's public statements did not always align with what it communicated through private diplomatic channels, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the truce's durability.

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