Middle East Monitoring Desk Islamabad by Tazeen Akhtar
Following 40 days of joint US-Israeli war against Iran, the two sides finally agreed early Wednesday Tehran time to a two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan. US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s decision to step back from the war late Tuesday local time in a statement posted on the Truth Social platform.
President Trump shared on social media , Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif announced an immediate ceasefire between the US, Iran, and allies covering Lebanon, crediting both sides’ wisdom while inviting delegations to Islamabad on April 10 for further talks to resolve disputes.
Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi says if attacks against Iran are halted, Iranian Armed Forces will also cease their defensive operations. He made the remarks in a post on his X account on Thursday.
“On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I express gratitude and appreciation for my dear brothers HE Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif and HE Field Marshal Munir for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region,” Araghchi wrote.
“In response to the brotherly request of PM Sharif in his tweet, and considering the request by the U.S. for negotiations based on its 15-point proposal as well as 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, said Araghchi.
Iran’s SNSC: War objectives largely achieved, talks with US planned in Islamabad
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has announced in a statement that almost all of the country’s war objectives have been achieved, while announcing that negotiations with the United States are expected to take place in Islamabad to finalize the political outcome of the conflict.
The SNSC said early on Wednesday that Iran had continued the war for more than 40 days despite repeated requests by its adversaries to halt hostilities. According to the statement, Iranian authorities rejected several deadlines issued by US President Donald Trump, emphasizing that Tehran would not accept any timetable imposed by its enemies.
The statement said the continuation of military operations was aimed at achieving key objectives, including forcing the enemies into retreat and removing long‑term threats against Iran, and that Iranian forces had pushed their adversaries into a historic impasse.
According to the council, the decision to continue the conflict had the full backing of the Iranian people and would persist as long as necessary to secure major strategic gains and new regional security arrangements.
However, the statement added that, following guidance from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei and approval by the Supreme National Security Council, the Islamic Republic has agreed to negotiations aimed at finalizing the details of a potential settlement.
The talks are expected to be held in Islamabad with Pakistan acting as an intermediary.
Iranian officials said the negotiations could last up to 15 days, during which Tehran seeks to translate battlefield gains into political agreements.
Trump reposts FM Araghchi’s X post as Iran’s official statement on ceasefire
US President Donald Trump has reposted an X message by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on his Truth Social account, labeling it “Iran’s official statement” on a ceasefire announced between the two countries.
The White House had earlier reposted Trump’s own statement on the social media platform Truth Social, presenting it as the official position of the US government on Iran. After that, Trump shared on his Truth Social a message posted by Iran’s foreign minister on X, reposting Tehran’s official stance.
Last night, both sides held their last resorts of using power, the sides were about to activate to settle the conflict, only after the high level contact between Pakistan and USA.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif requested US President Donald Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks, besides urging Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks as a goodwill gesture, considering the intensified diplomatic efforts for the peaceful settlement of the ongoing war.
He stated, “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 the deadline for two weeks. 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 shared on his X, “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 sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes, he added.
Shehbaz Sharif said, Both parties have displayed remarkable wisdom and understanding and have remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability. We earnestly hope, that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days!
