A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect Tuesday evening (April 7), with Israel expressing support for a temporary halt in hostilities, though questions remain over whether the agreement applies across all fronts and whether it will hold on the ground.
The truce, mediated by Shehbaz Sharif, is intended to pause more than five weeks of escalating conflict and create space for negotiations toward a broader peace agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire would allow time to finalize a deal with Iran, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated Tehran would halt what it described as “defensive operations” during the period.
Despite the announcement, reports of missile and drone attacks continued early Wednesday across parts of the Persian Gulf, including alerts in Israel and incidents in Gulf states, raising doubts about whether the agreement had been fully communicated to Iranian field commanders operating under a decentralized command structure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel supported the U.S.-brokered pause on the condition that Iran cease attacks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. However, he stated the ceasefire did not extend to ongoing fighting in Lebanon involving the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, contradicting earlier remarks by Pakistani officials that the agreement applied “everywhere.”
The ceasefire announcement followed heightened tensions over Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. warnings of severe consequences if shipping lanes were not reopened. While global oil prices dropped sharply after the deal was announced, uncertainty persisted over whether commercial vessels would consider the waterway safe for transit.
Sharif, who has sought to position Pakistan as a mediator, praised both sides for showing “remarkable wisdom and understanding” and invited U.S. and Iranian delegations to Islamabad for talks aimed at reaching a more durable settlement. Iranian officials signaled willingness to attend, while U.S. officials said discussions were ongoing but not yet finalized.
