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At a juncture when the Middle East teetered perilously on the precipice of a broader conflagration, Pakistan emerged as a decisive diplomatic architect, orchestrating a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran and averting an escalation that could have engulfed the region.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s meticulously calibrated diplomacy proved instrumental in this landmark breakthrough. Through sustained engagement and high-level backchannel negotiations, Islamabad successfully aligned both parties toward a temporary but consequential truce.
The Prime Minister’s earlier appeal for restraint and his call for an extension to permit diplomacy to supersede military escalation underscored Pakistan’s strategic foresight in mediating high-stakes international crises.
His intervention arrived amidst mounting global apprehension, turbulence in energy markets, and escalating concerns over regional spillover, reaffirming Pakistan’s stature as a credible and influential diplomatic interlocutor.
Pakistan will now host negotiations in Islamabad between Tehran and Washington, anchored on Iran’s 10-point proposal, with the objective of transforming the temporary cessation into a durable settlement.
Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future. To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2026
US President Donald Trump announced the agreement late Wednesday, mere hours before a self-imposed 8pm ET deadline that had intensified fears of a catastrophic confrontation. Characterizing the development as a “double-sided ceasefire,” Trump stipulated that Iran must ensure the immediate and secure reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic artery for global energy flows.
Trump further revealed that Washington had received a 10-point framework from Tehran, which he described as a robust foundation for long-term negotiations, noting that several historically contentious issues had already been substantially reconciled.
The two-week truce constitutes not a symbolic gesture but a critical interlude to transform de-escalation into sustainable diplomacy.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council formally affirmed the ceasefire, acknowledging that Pakistan had communicated the United States’ acceptance of Iran’s 10-point plan as the operative basis for negotiations.
The Council emphasized that the ceasefire does not denote the conclusion of hostilities; Tehran will consent to a final resolution only once the plan’s provisions are meticulously implemented and formalized.
The Council added that should any adversarial misstep occur during this interval, Iran remains poised to respond decisively: “Our hands are on the trigger, and the slightest error by the enemy will be met with full force.”
Complementing this, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be guaranteed for the two-week period, contingent on cessation of hostilities. He affirmed that Iran’s formidable armed forces would suspend defensive operations if attacks against Iranian territory were halted, signalling conditional flexibility from Tehran under the accord.
Statement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran: pic.twitter.com/cEtBNCLnWT
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 7, 2026
This temporary cessation follows weeks of relentless hostilities, including US and Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure, targeting bridges, airports, petrochemical facilities, and Iran’s principal oil export terminal on Kharg Island.
In retaliation, Iran conducted strikes across the Gulf, including against a vessel and a major Saudi petrochemical complex, with booms audible as far afield as Doha.
The conflict, now in its sixth week, has claimed over 5,000 lives across nearly a dozen countries, including upwards of 1,600 Iranian civilians, according to government and human rights sources.
Disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil supply transits, exacerbated global oil price volatility and heightened fears of a worldwide economic downturn.
This development underscores Pakistan’s elevated diplomatic stature and its capacity to function as a stabilizing actor in global crises. By intervening at a decisive inflection point, Islamabad not only forestalled immediate escalation but also reframed the trajectory of the conflict, creating space for sustained dialogue and negotiation.
The two-week ceasefire serves as a testament to the transformative potential of timely and adept diplomacy, even amidst extreme geopolitical tension.
