Trump Stops Bombing Iran After Conversations with PM Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir; Iran and US Agree to Two-Week Ceasefire
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir played a decisive role in convincing US President Donald Trump to suspend strikes on Iran for two weeks, brokering a historic ceasefire on April 8, 2026. (Photo: Representative Image / DGN HD TV)
Islamabad: In a stunning diplomatic development that has shaken the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, Pakistan announced on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America — along with their respective allies — had agreed to an immediate ceasefire, effective at once and covering all fronts including Lebanon. The breakthrough came directly after US President Donald Trump held conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, who personally requested that he hold off the military strikes planned for that night.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Trump suspended bombing of Iran for two weeks after direct talks with PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Asim Munir
- Iran and the US agreed to an immediate ceasefire, including Lebanon — effective immediately
- Pakistan invited both delegations to Islamabad on April 10 for formal peace negotiations
- Iran agreed to halt defensive operations if all attacks against it ceased
- Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz guaranteed for a two-week period by Iran
- White House cautioned: nothing final until announced by the President
- Israel agreed to the ceasefire deal, but Netanyahu said it does not include Lebanon
- Trump posted on Truth Social pledging US help with Hormuz "traffic buildup"
PM Shehbaz Announces Ceasefire — "Effective Immediately"
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made the announcement in an early-morning post on X, welcoming the ceasefire and extending his "deepest gratitude" to the leadership of both countries. He said both sides had displayed "remarkable wisdom and understanding" and had remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability across the region.
"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. I warmly welcome the..." Show more
4:50 AM · Apr 8, 2026The prime minister also formally invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 to hold further negotiations towards a conclusive agreement to settle all outstanding disputes. He expressed confidence that the 'Islamabad Talks' would succeed in achieving sustainable peace and that more positive developments would follow in the coming days.
Hours Before Deadline — PM Shehbaz Urges Trump to Extend
The ceasefire breakthrough did not happen in a vacuum. Hours before Trump's ultimatum to Iran — set to expire at 8pm Eastern Time on April 8 — Prime Minister Shehbaz took to X with an urgent appeal, describing diplomatic efforts as progressing "steadily, strongly and powerfully" and asking the US president to allow diplomacy more time to work.
"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..." Show more
12:17 AM · Apr 8, 2026In that post, the prime minister explicitly requested a two-week deadline extension from President Trump. He also appealed to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow maritime chokepoint through which 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas had flowed before the Middle East war began — as a goodwill gesture for the same two-week period.
"Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open the Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture. We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region."
— Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, April 8, 2026
Trump's Response — Suspends Iran Bombing for Two Weeks
Shortly after Pakistan's diplomatic push, President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform confirming that he had spoken directly with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. In the post, Trump acknowledged that both had personally requested he hold off on the military strikes planned for that night — and he agreed, on one condition.
"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks."
— President Donald J. Trump, Truth Social, April 8, 2026
Trump's statement came less than two hours before his ultimatum to Iran was due to expire. Just the previous day, he had renewed his threat to Tehran, saying "a whole civilisation will die tonight" — making the reversal all the more dramatic and the scale of Pakistan's diplomatic achievement all the more significant.
Trump Pledges US Help at Strait of Hormuz — "Golden Age of the Middle East"
In a follow-up post on Truth Social, President Trump said the United States would actively help with what he described as the "traffic buildup" in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after Washington and Tehran reached their truce. His tone shifted sharply from the bellicose threats of the previous days to an optimistic vision of regional reconstruction and economic opportunity.
"The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote. "There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process." He added that US forces would be "loading up with supplies of all kinds" and staying in the area to ensure a smooth reopening, expressing confidence that all would go well. He closed with a characteristically sweeping declaration: "Just like we are experiencing in the US, this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!!"
Iran's Response — Supreme National Security Council Declares Ceasefire
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded formally on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Sharif and Field Marshal Munir for their "tireless efforts to end the war in the region" and laid out Tehran's conditions for halting military operations.
In his statement, Araghchi said: "In response to the brotherly request of PM Sharif in his tweet, and considering the request by the US for negotiations based on its 15-point proposal as well as the announcement by POTUS about acceptance of the general framework of Iran's 10-point proposal as a basis for negotiations, I hereby declare on behalf of Iran's Supreme National Security Council: If attacks against Iran are halted, our powerful armed forces will cease their defensive operations."
He further confirmed that for a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible through coordination with Iran's armed forces, with due consideration of technical limitations — effectively meeting the core condition set by both the United States and Pakistan for the ceasefire to hold.
White House and Israel — Cautious Endorsements
While the mood in Islamabad was celebratory, Washington's official response was measured. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the United States had not yet formally agreed to anything, noting that "there are discussions about in-person talks, but nothing is final until announced by the President or the White House." The statement was widely interpreted as standard diplomatic hedging rather than a rejection of the process.
On Israel's position, a White House official confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to the ceasefire deal between Washington and Tehran. However, Netanyahu's own statement introduced a significant caveat: Israel supported Trump's decision, but maintained that the ceasefire arrangement "does not include Lebanon" — leaving open the question of whether Israeli military operations in that theatre would continue independently of the Iran-US truce.
Islamabad Talks Set for April 10 — The Road Ahead
With the ceasefire announced and the Strait of Hormuz set for a conditional reopening, all eyes now turn to Islamabad and the April 10 peace talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz invited delegations from both Iran and the United States to the Pakistani capital to engage in formal negotiations aimed at reaching what he called "a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes."
The talks will need to address a complex array of unresolved issues: the terms of a permanent ceasefire, the fate of Iran's nuclear programme, the future of Iranian-backed armed groups across the region, the status of Lebanon, and the long-term security architecture of the Gulf. None of these are simple matters, and analysts have cautioned that the two-week window is extremely tight for resolving disputes that have been building for decades.
Nevertheless, the very fact that both Washington and Tehran have stepped back from the edge of a potentially catastrophic escalation — and done so through Pakistani mediation — is being described by regional experts as one of the most remarkable diplomatic achievements of the 21st century.
Conclusion: A Historic Moment for Pakistan and the World
April 8, 2026 may well be recorded in history as the day Pakistan pulled the world back from the brink. With Trump's strike deadline hours away and global energy markets in turmoil, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir engaged directly with the highest levels of both the American and Iranian governments to secure a two-week ceasefire — and they succeeded.
The coming days will test whether this pause becomes a peace. The Islamabad talks on April 10 carry enormous weight, not just for Iran and the United States, but for the entire Middle East, global energy markets, and the future of international diplomacy. Pakistan has created the opportunity. Whether all sides can seize it remains to be seen.
DGN HD TV will continue to provide live updates on the Iran-US ceasefire, the Islamabad peace talks, and all related developments. Stay connected with us for the latest breaking news.