Pakistan Brokers Two-Week US-Iran Ceasefire Extension
Sharif pushes Trump for deadline delay and Iran to reopen Hormuz Strait as goodwill move; high-stakes talks now set for Islamabad with fragile truce in place.
Abdul Raheem Qaisar
Fresh word is blowing up that Pakistan has pulled off a last-minute save, brokering a two-week extension of the shaky US-Iran ceasefire just hours before President Trump’s deadline ran out.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif fired off a blunt appeal on X late Tuesday, urging Trump to hold off any strikes “to allow diplomacy to run its course” while asking Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the same period as a goodwill gesture. Trump quickly confirmed he was suspending bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks, crediting direct talks with Sharif and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Iran’s side accepted the pause too, saying safe passage through the strait would be coordinated with its armed forces. Both countries now plan face-to-face talks in Islamabad starting Friday. The whole thing came together fast after weeks of back-channel calls, with Pakistan acting as the main go-between.
Sharif floated what some insiders are calling a two-phase framework, first the quick pause, then broader talks for a lasting settlement. Munir reportedly stayed up all night dialing US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian officials to seal it. The White House described Iran’s response as a “workable basis” for moving forward, though Trump made clear the truce only sticks if the strait opens fully. Oil markets breathed a small sigh of relief as shipping fears eased for now.
This whole flare-up is playing out in the sixth week of the wider US-Israel clash with Iran, which kicked off after strikes on Iranian targets and Tehran’s decision to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, choking off a huge chunk of global oil flow. The war, now in its sixth week, has claimed more than 5,000 lives in nearly a dozen countries, including more than 1,600 civilians in Iran and over a 1,000 civilians in Lebanon, according to The Express Tribune.
If the Islamabad talks hold, it could open the door to a real end to the fighting and steady the region’s shaky nerves. But plenty of folks are warning that this is just a short breather, if either side drags its feet or the strait stays tricky to navigate, the truce could crumble fast and drag everyone back into escalation. For now, though, Pakistan’s quiet diplomacy has bought everyone a little breathing room.
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