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BREAKING — JUST IN: Hours after threatening to let “a whole civilization die,” President Trump reversed course announcing a two-week ceasefire with Iran and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz Ceasefire. Oil prices crashed 17%. The Dow surged 1,000 points. And the world held its breath. WHAT ARE THE TERMS AND CAN THE
BREAKING — JUST IN: Hours after threatening to let “a whole civilization die,” President Trump reversed course announcing a two-week ceasefire with Iran and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz Ceasefire. Oil prices crashed 17%. The Dow surged 1,000 points. And the world held its breath.
WASHINGTON / ISLAMABAD / TEHRAN — April 9, 2026 President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran late Tuesday, halting nearly 40 days of active war and securing Iran’s commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz the world’s most critical energy chokepoint after its unprecedented closure triggered a global economic shock. The agreement, brokered with Pakistan’s crucial mediation, pauses hostilities that began February 28 when the United States and Israel launched nearly 900 strikes in 12 hours against Iranian military infrastructure, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and six other senior Iranian security officials.
Formal negotiations open Friday, April 10, in Islamabad.
What the US and Israel Agreed:
What Iran Agreed:
The Bigger Picture — Iran’s 10-Point Plan vs. US 15-Point Demands: Iran entered talks pushing a sweeping 10-point framework including: full sanctions removal, return of all frozen assets abroad, the right to domestic uranium enrichment, compensation for war damages, and a binding UN Security Council ratification. The United States, in a 15-point counter-proposal, demanded Iran dismantle enrichment facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan; transfer all highly-enriched uranium stockpiles to a third country; end support for Hezbollah and the Houthis; and accept strict IAEA verification. Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi confirmed Washington accepted the “general framework” of Tehran’s 10-point plan as a basis — a significant concession that accelerated the ceasefire.
Critical sticking points remain unresolved:
HOW WE GOT HERE: 40 DAYS OF WAR – The ceasefire caps the most intense US-Iran confrontation since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — a conflict that escalated rapidly from diplomacy to devastating military strikes.
| Date | Event |
| March 7, 2025 | Trump sends letter to Khamenei proposing a nuclear deal with a 60-day deadline |
| April–June 2025 | Six rounds of US-Iran talks collapse after Iran rejects terms |
| June 13–24, 2025 | US & Israel strike Iran in the “Twelve-Day War”; talks suspended |
| Late 2025 | UN sanctions return; protests erupt across Iran |
| Feb 27–28, 2026 | “Operation Epic Fury” launched — 900 strikes; Khamenei killed |
| Feb 28, 2026 | Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz |
| March–April 2026 | US peace proposal rejected; conflict continues |
| April 7, 2026 | Two-week ceasefire announced; Hormuz reopens |
“A WHOLE CIVILIZATION WILL DIE”: The ceasefire announcement came just 90 minutes before Trump’s self-imposed deadline for Iran to open the strait — or face infrastructure strikes on civilian targets. At 8:00 PM ET on April 7, Trump posted on Truth Social: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” Then came the pivot. After a last-minute call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir who delivered Tehran’s acceptance of a ceasefire framework Trump posted again: “Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated.” He declared the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE” — and, in a characteristic aside, added: “I want to make BIG MONEY in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The 21-mile-wide Strait of Hormuz, separating Iran and Oman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, is the single most important energy chokepoint on Earth. Its 40-day closure was the first enforced closure in modern history — and the economic consequences were immediate and severe.
Key Statistics:
The announcement triggered the biggest single-day oil price drop since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020:
| Asset / Index | Change | Current Level / Impact |
| Brent Crude | -17% | ~$91/barrel (from ~$107 peak) |
| WTI Crude | -18% | ~$92/barrel |
| Dow Jones | +1,000+ points | Strong upward move |
| South Korea KOSPI | +6.87% | Significant gain |
| Japan Nikkei | +5.39% | Strong rally |
| Germany DAX | +4.6% | Positive performance |
| Gulf Shipping Insurance | -~30% | Estimated decline |
The Dallas Fed had previously assessed the closure as equivalent to a major global supply shock. Energy analysts warned that even a partial disruption lasting weeks could push Brent above $130/barrel.
Iran entered these negotiations from a position of severe economic and military weakness.
Economic collapse:
With its nuclear program destroyed, its leadership decimated, its economy in freefall, and its streets in revolt, Iran’s new leadership had limited leverage and little choice but to engage.
PAKISTAN: THE UNLIKELY PEACEMAKER : The ceasefire’s key broker was not Oman the traditional US-Iran back-channel but Pakistan, whose Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir played a decisive role in the final hours.
Pakistan’s diplomatic timeline:
Trump reportedly halted Iran strikes after those calls. Pakistani PM Sharif called it “a moment when both parties displayed remarkable wisdom and understanding.” World leaders — including UK, Germany, Australia, and Malaysia — praised Pakistan’s pivotal role.
Negotiations formally opened in Islamabad on April 10, with the US represented by VP JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.
The ceasefire is already under stress.
Within hours of the announcement:
Israel launched “Operation Eternal Darkness” on Lebanon 100 airstrikes in 10 minutes
Iranian drone attacks were reported on Gulf states
The IRGC reportedly halted Hormuz shipping again
Iran’s Lavan Island oil refinery was struck
Lebanon was explicitly not included in the ceasefire terms a gap both sides are aware of. VP Vance called the ceasefire a “fragile truce.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio was blunter: “I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys.”
The ceasefire runs through April 23, 2026 a razor-thin window to resolve disputes that have festered since the original JCPOA collapsed in 2018.
The fundamental question is whether the US and Iran can bridge their core disagreement: Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium domestically; the US insists those facilities must be dismantled. Every other issue flows from that one.
As Dr. Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment has noted of similar past moments: “This is a pause, not a peace. The real question is what happens on day 15.”
For now after 40 days of war, 1,497 deaths, a closed strait, and an oil price shock the guns are quiet, the tankers are moving, and the world has two weeks to find out if it can stay that way.
| Category | Details |
| War Began | February 28, 2026 |
| Strikes (Day 1) | ~900 strikes in 12 hours |
| Iranian Leaders Killed | 7 (including Supreme Leader Khamenei) |
| Total Casualties | 1,497+ killed |
| Ceasefire Announced | April 7, 2026 |
| Ceasefire Duration | 2 weeks (until April 23) |
| Oil Price Drop (1 Day) | Brent: -17% · WTI: -18% |
| Hormuz Daily Oil Flow | 20 million barrels/day |
| Hormuz Share of Global Oil | ~20% of world consumption |
| Iran Inflation (2025) | 43–60% (IMF/World Bank) |
| Next Talks | April 10, Islamabad |
| US Negotiators | Vance · Witkoff · Kushner |
How control of the strait became the defining leverage point in the Iran negotiations.
Inside the back-channel diplomacy pushing toward a signed agreement.
The fragile ceasefire is holding even as broader negotiations hit roadblocks.
