Countries Urge Full Commitment to Two-Week Ceasefire, Praise Pakistan’s Role

The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire to suspend military hostilities, a deal announced by US President Donald Trump on April 7, 2026. The agreement follows a period of intense escalation and a deadline imposed by the US administration for Iran to meet specific demands.

As a primary condition of the truce, Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime corridor is critical to global energy security, as approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the strait.

The ceasefire allows the US and Israel to suspend bombing campaigns against Iran. According to reports from NPR, the agreement was reached less than two hours before a deadline set by President Trump, which had included threats of wide-scale destruction of Iranian civilian and military infrastructure.

Diplomatic Framework and Negotiations

The truce is intended to provide a window for negotiations to finalize a long-term peace deal. Pakistan has played a central role in facilitating the agreement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan will host delegations from both the United States and Iran in Islamabad on Friday, April 10, 2026, for further talks.

President Trump stated that the ceasefire is double sided and indicated that the US has met its military objectives. He further noted that Iran has proposed a 10-point peace plan that addresses several points of past contention, which he described as workable.

This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.

Donald Trump

Iranian leadership has also characterized the ceasefire as a victory, asserting that the US has agreed to the general framework of Iran’s 10-point proposal.

International Reactions

The development has been welcomed by several nations and international observers, though some have emphasized the need for a permanent resolution. Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the news but stated that both the US and Iran must remain committed to the deal to achieve a lasting resolution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for the decision to suspend strikes on Iran and the effort to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile, or terror threat to the US, Israel, and the surrounding region.

However, Netanyahu clarified that the ceasefire is limited in scope and does not include Lebanon. Israeli forces continue to conduct a ground invasion in Lebanon, where they are fighting Hezbollah, a group aligned with Tehran.

Context of the Conflict

The ceasefire follows a period of severe volatility. Prior to the agreement, President Trump had warned that if a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz was not reached by 8 p.m. ET on April 7, a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.

Reports indicate that the region had seen significant destruction leading up to the truce, including joint attacks by the US and Israel in Tehran and Iranian missile strikes in Ramat Gan, Israel. In Lebanon, Israeli bombardment has displaced residents in southern regions and caused casualties in Beirut.

The current status of the agreement remains contingent on Iran’s continued commitment to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for safe passage throughout the two-week period.