Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally called for a two-week cessation of hostilities to provide a diplomatic window for the “conclusive termination” of the US-Israel-Iran war.
The proposal, shared via the social media platform X, requests that US President Donald Trump extend his looming deadline for Iran by a fortnight while urging Tehran to restore access to the Strait of Hormuz during this period, reports CNN and Al Jazeera.
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that the president has been briefed on the Pakistani initiative and stated that “a response will come.”
During a press briefing, Trump described the United States as being engaged in “heated negotiations” regarding the conflict, though he declined to elaborate further on the nature of the talks.
This diplomatic intervention comes as a critical US-imposed ultimatum is set to expire at 8pm Eastern time (00:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Trump has previously threatened a massive assault on Iranian civilian infrastructure – including power plants and bridges – if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which handles a fifth of global energy exports, is not reached.
Writing on TruthSocial, the president used grave rhetoric, warning that a “whole civilisation will die tonight” if his demands are ignored, though he added that “something revolutionarily wonderful” might still occur.
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
According to a media reports, these high-stakes discussions are being steered directly by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. The source indicated that “some good news is expected from both sides soon” and suggested a deal could be finalised as early as tonight.
Pakistan is acting as a mediator alongside Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Sharif expressed optimism that these peace efforts are “progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully”.
The Iranian response has remained largely defiant, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) threatening to strike American infrastructure and regional oil assets if the US military crosses its “red lines.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeskhian also claimed that over 14 million Iranians have volunteered to defend the nation.
However, Reza Amiri Moghadam, the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, noted on Tuesday that efforts to halt the war have reached a “critical, sensitive” stage. This follows Trump’s dismissal of a previous 10-point Iranian peace plan as “not good enough”.
Within the US administration, Vice President JD Vance suggested that American forces could employ military tools that “so far haven’t decided to use.”
While the White House has pushed back against claims of potential nuclear use, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt maintained an air of uncertainty regarding the president’s final decision, stating, “Only the president knows where things stand and what he will do.”
