Trump Halts Iran Strikes for 14-Day Ceasefire and Strait of Hormuz Reopening

Donald Trump announced a two-week suspension of bombing operations against Iran less than two hours before his ultimatum was set to expire, averting a threatened campaign against Iranian civilian infrastructure after Tehran submitted a ten-point peace plan and agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced the decision on his Truth Social platform following consultations with Pakistani mediators, stating he was ready for a ceasefire if Tehran "completely" reopened the strait. The ultimatum had been set for 2:00 AM on April 8, 2026 (Paris time), and had threatened the destruction of Iranian power plants, bridges, and industrial sites if the strait remained closed. Trump described discussions on a long-term peace agreement as "very advanced" and said Iran had submitted a "viable" ten-point plan to Washington. The announcement came after more than five weeks of Israeli-American strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury.

Iran confirms Hormuz reopening, with conditions attached Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the duration of the two-week truce, but made clear the move was conditional on the cessation of Israeli-American strikes. „If the attacks against Iran cease, our powerful armed forces will cease their defensive operations” — Abbas Araghchi via Blick.ch Araghchi added that "for a period of two weeks, secure passage of the Strait of Hormuz will be possible in coordination with the Iranian armed forces and taking into account technical limitations." The Supreme National Security Council of Iran issued a separate statement confirming that negotiations with the American side would begin on Friday, April 10, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan, and would last two weeks. The council explicitly stated that the truce "does not mean the end of the war" and that Iran would only accept a full cessation of hostilities once negotiations had succeeded. The council also noted the two-week period could be extended by mutual agreement of both parties.

Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif announces ceasefire covers Lebanon too Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif played a central mediating role in brokering the agreement, with Trump citing discussions with Pakistani mediators as a key factor in his decision to suspend the bombing campaign. Sharif announced the ceasefire on his X account, declaring that Iran, the United States, and their allies had agreed to "an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including in Lebanon and elsewhere, WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT." The announcement extended the scope of the truce beyond the direct US-Iran theater to include Lebanon, where hostilities had also been ongoing. Pakistan's role as a diplomatic intermediary reflects Islamabad's positioning as a neutral channel between Washington and Tehran. The choice of Islamabad as the venue for the April 10 negotiations further underscores Pakistan's central role in the diplomatic process.

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran, Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in its opening strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Khamenei's son, was subsequently appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the strikes triggered a surge in global oil prices, prompting the 32 member countries of the International Energy Agency to release strategic oil reserves to stabilize markets. The Houthis separately threatened to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another critical chokepoint for global trade, adding further pressure on international energy supply chains.

Economic pressure and domestic politics shaped Trump's reversal The decision to suspend hostilities came against a backdrop of significant economic and political pressure on the Trump administration. Rising oil and gasoline prices had already begun weighing on the American economy, reducing growth and purchasing power, according to reporting by Blick.ch. Analysts noted that each further increase risked weakening Trump's political support ahead of midterm elections. European allies had also signaled they would distance themselves from Washington if strikes on civilian infrastructure — power plants and bridges — went ahead, as such attacks would be politically difficult to justify under international law. Iran, for its part, had leveraged its control over the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic asset, with analysts noting that even partial disruption of the waterway was sufficient to destabilize global energy markets and supply chains. The IEA's emergency reserve release had provided temporary relief, but markets remained volatile throughout the standoff. The two-week window now gives both sides a narrow diplomatic opening to negotiate a broader settlement before the ultimatum's terms could be reimposed.

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