MercoPress -South Atlantic News Agency - US and Iran reach ceasefire deal with both sides claiming victory - Wednesday, April 8th 2026 - 10:27 UTC

 MercoPress -South Atlantic News Agency 

US and Iran reach ceasefire deal with both sides claiming victory

Wednesday, April 8th 2026 - 10:27 UTC

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Iranian flags at a rally in support of the government of the Islamic Republic - Photo: Europa Press/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader

The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday night, just 90 minutes before a deadline President Donald Trump had set to launch massive strikes against Iranian civilian infrastructure. The deal, brokered by Pakistan, pauses a six-week conflict that has killed thousands and triggered a global energy crisis.

Both sides cast the truce as their own triumph. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. “has already met and exceeded all military objectives” and called Iran's 10-point plan a “workable” basis for peace negotiations. Iran's Supreme National Security Council declared that “nearly all the objectives of the war have been achieved” and that Washington had accepted “the general framework” of Tehran's proposal.

At the heart of the agreement is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Tehran will allow safe passage of vessels during the two-week truce under coordination with Iranian armed forces. Iran and Oman plan to charge transit fees earmarked for reconstruction, according to semi-official Tasnim News Agency. However, shipping data showed little movement in the waterway hours after the announcement, as vessel operators and insurers awaited stronger assurances.

Markets responded with immediate relief: oil futures dropped around 13%, while S&P 500 futures rose more than 2%.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who served as intermediary, invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad for Friday, April 10. Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the U.S. delegation, alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff. 

Sharif stated the ceasefire covers “Lebanon and elsewhere,” but Israel disputed this. Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it supports the suspension of strikes against Iran but that the deal does not extend to operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In the hours following the announcement, the Israel Defense Forces issued an urgent evacuation warning in the coastal city of Tyre, and an airstrike in the Sidon area killed eight people and wounded 22 others, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

The truce, though fragile, opens a diplomatic window after weeks of escalation that included Trump's threats against civilian infrastructure and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Whether the Islamabad talks can turn this pause into a lasting agreement remains an open question.

Categories: Politics, International, United States.

Tags: Donald Trump, Iran, Pakistan, Strait of Hormuz.