Pakistan Brokers US-Iran Ceasefire Minutes Before Trump's Bombing Deadline

With less than two hours remaining before President Trump's threatened bombing campaign against Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran on Tuesday evening, averting what could have been the most consequential military escalation in the Middle East in decades.

Trump had set an 8 p.m. ET deadline on April 7, demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face what he called devastation. Earlier that day, he threatened to bomb Iran to the "stone ages" and destroy its "whole civilization" if no agreement was reached.

The breakthrough came after Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, joined Sharif in directly mediating between the two governments. Trump credited both men in a Truth Social post, writing that his decision was "based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan." Sharif announced the agreement on X: "With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY." Formal negotiations are scheduled to begin Friday, April 10, in Islamabad under an agreement tentatively called the "Islamabad Accord," with Vice President JD Vance expected to lead the U.S. delegation.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council claimed the U.S. had accepted its 10-point peace plan, which demands the lifting of sanctions, reconstruction aid, acceptance of Iran's uranium enrichment program, and continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has not confirmed it accepted all of Iran's terms. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed ships would have safe passage through the waterway, stating: "If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations." A U.S. Defense official confirmed all American strikes are suspended but cautioned the ceasefire order may take time to filter down to lower ranks of the Revolutionary Guards.

One significant fracture emerged immediately. Israel said the ceasefire did not include Lebanon, where a separate military campaign against Hezbollah has continued since March 2, 2026. Despite Sharif's announcement claiming the agreement covered "Lebanon and elsewhere," Israel explicitly rejected that framing. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties "to abide by the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way towards a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region."

The economic impact was swift and historic. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries approximately 20% of the world's daily oil supply, had been effectively closed since late March after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps formally barred vessels headed to or from ports in the U.S., Israel, and their allies. With its reopening now promised, WTI crude fell more than 16% to approximately $94.47 per barrel after spiking as high as $117 earlier that day, marking the biggest single-day oil price drop since the 1991 Gulf War. The national average for regular gasoline stood at $4.14 per gallon, up sharply from $2.98 before the war began. GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said prices could fall back below $4 per gallon within one to two weeks.

The ceasefire came more than five weeks into a conflict that began in late February 2026 after the breakdown of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, when Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military infrastructure. More than 1,600 people have been reported killed in Iran and over 1,300 in Lebanon since the fighting began, according to local authorities and rights groups.