PM Shehbaz requests Trump and Iran for 2-week ceasefire, Hormuz reopening to advance Middle East peace efforts

White House says Trump aware, response will come; Iran 'positively reviewing' proposal

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday night urged the United States to call off its deadline for Iran to agree to a deal for two weeks while requesting Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for the same period.

In a post on X, he said: "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 [Donald] Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open 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."

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

White House press secretary Karoline Leavit told Axios: "The president has been made been aware of the proposal, and a response will come."

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran was "positively reviewing" the Pakistani proposal.

Earlier, a senior Pakistani government official told Anadolu that Iran had “not conveyed any message” regarding the reported “closure” of indirect talks with the US.

This came after the New York Times claimed Iran ceased to engage in talks to stop war with the US after Trump’s threat to wipe out “whole civilisation”.

In its live blog, the outlet said that, as per three senior Iranian officials, "Iran has stopped negotiation efforts with the United States, informing Pakistan that it would no longer engage in cease-fire talks."

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Iran has “cut off direct communications with the US over President Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s 'whole civilisation'... though talks with cease-fire mediators continue".

Trump earlier warned that "a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again" — remarks that fuelled speculation as his 8pm Eastern Time (0000GMT Wednesday) deadline for Iran approaches.

Meanwhile, the White House said that Trump was the only person who knew his plans for Iran, after the US president warned that a “whole civilisation will die” if Tehran fails to reach a deal by Tuesday.

Read: US-Iran mediation efforts via Pakistan continue: sources

"The Iranian regime has until 8pm Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to AFP, when asked if Trump was prepared to use a nuclear weapon, and about a report that Iran had cut off negotiations.

"Only the president knows where things stand and what he will do."

Earlier, Trump threatened to eliminate the "whole civilisation" of Iran tonight amid a breakdown in talks to resolve the crisis in the Middle East.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: "A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have complete and total regime change, where different, smarter and less radicalised minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, who knows? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world. 47 years of extortion, corruption and death will finally end. God bless the great people of Iran!"

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116363336033995961

Meanwhile, explosions were heard on Iran’s Kharg Island in the Gulf following US-Israeli airstrikes, Iranian media reported. Mehr News Agency said US and Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes on the island, causing multiple explosions.

No details were yet available about casualties or damage.

Iran earlier attacked ​a petrochemical ​complex in Saudi ⁠Arabia's Jubail ​industrial city, ​located in the Eastern province, Iran's ​semi-official ​Fars news agency said.

Also Read: PM Shehbaz reaffirms solidarity in talks with Saudi crown prince after Iran attack on energy facilities

The ‌Saudi ⁠government communications office, state oil giant ​Aramco ​and ⁠its petrochemicals subsidiary ​SABIC did ​not ⁠immediately respond to requests ⁠for ​comment.

Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that "14 million Iranians have registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran." "I too have been, am, and will remain devoted to giving my life for Iran," he stated in a post on X.

More than 14 million proud Iranians have so far registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I too have been, am, and will remain devoted to giving my life for Iran. https://t.co/B9GBHAAEMu

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 7, 2026

Amid recent escalation, the Israeli military urged all vessels in the maritime zone off the coast of southern Lebanon to immediately head north of the city of Tyre, warning that it would operate in the area.

"Hezbollah's activities expose naval vessels in the maritime area between Tyre and Ras al-Naqoura to danger, which compels the IDF to take action against it in the maritime domain," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.

"To ensure your safety, all anchored or sailing naval vessels in the specified maritime area shown on the navigation map must immediately proceed north of the Tyre area," he added.

Deliberate attacks on civilian targets 'a war crime': UN

The UN rights chief decried Tuesday the "incendiary rhetoric" in the Middle East war, warning that deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure was "a war crime".

"Under international law, deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime," UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said in a statement, insisting that "anyone responsible for international crimes must be held to account by a competent court."

His comment came as US President Donald Trump ramped up his rhetoric against Iran, vowing to carry out the "complete demolition" of critical infrastructure, particularly bridges and power plants if Iran did not agree a deal by late Tuesday.

Turk did not explicitly mention Trump nor the other countries involved in the conflict that began on February 28. But he said "I deplore the tirade of incendiary rhetoric being used in the Middle East war over the last couple of weeks by all parties."

Read More: China, Russia veto UNSC resolution to open Strait of Hormuz

In particular, he highlighted "the latest threats to annihilate a whole civilisation and to target civilian infrastructure".

"This is sickening," he said, warning that "carrying through on such threats amounts to the most serious international crimes".

The UN rights chief stressed that "threats that spread fear and terror among civilians are unacceptable and must cease immediately".

He called on the international community to "take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and to help protect the lives of all civilians".

Since the war began on February 28, Israel has carried out multiple assassinations of Iranian leadership, such as that of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

According to Al Jazeera, at least 2,076 people have been killed in Iran and 26,500 wounded.

The UN Security Council is set to vote on Tuesday for a resolution addressing Iran's threats to the Strait of Hormuz, diplomatic sources told AFP.

The latest draft, seen by AFP, demands Iran end its attacks on commercial vessels and halt "any attempt to impede transit passage or freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz".

But objections from several veto-holding permanent members have seen the text watered down, and the latest draft does not expressly authorise force.

Meanwhile, at least three explosions were heard in Tehran as fighter jets flew above the Iranian capital, according to Al Jazeera.

According to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency, Iran's Khorramabad airport has been targeted by a US-Israeli airstrike.

Pakistan peace efforts reach critical stage

Pakistan's "positive and productive" efforts to stop the US-Israeli war with Iran are approaching a "critical, sensitive" stage, Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Pakistan positive and productive endeavours in Good Will and Good Office to stop the war is approaching a critical, sensitive stage ...

Stay Tuned for more

— Reza Amiri Moghadam (@IranAmbPak) April 7, 2026

Damage reported in central Israel after Iranian attack

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli media reported damage in central Israel after Iran launched several projectiles, some of which were intercepted.

Israeli broadcaster Kan reported several impact sites. A vehicle overturned, but no injuries were reported.

The Times of Israel cited rescue services who said the damage had been caused by cluster submunitions from an Iranian ballistic missile.

The news outlet said Rosh Haayin and Ramat Hasharon were among the areas hit across central Israel.

Hezbollah claimed attacks on Israeli settlements, military forces

The Lebanese armed group said its fighters launched two attacks on Shlomi and Even Menachem in northern Israel with rocket barrages, according to Al Jazeera.

The group also said its fighters targeted two Israeli helicopters with surface-to-air missiles over the southern Lebanese town of Biyyadah, forcing both aircraft to retreat from Lebanese airspace.

Prior to this, Al Jazeera reported the Lebanese group said its fighters launched two attacks targeting the Kiryat Shmona settlement in northern Israel with rocket barrages, alongside additional strikes on the Metula and Kfar Yuval settlements.

Hezbollah further said its fighters targeted an Israeli army force east of the Khiam detention centre in southern Lebanon.

Additionally, Al Jazeera reported two separate Israeli air attacks on southern Lebanon have killed five people and injured several, according to the country’s National News Agency (NNA).

Two people were killed when their home in the town of Maarakeh was hit, NNA reports. The attack left many others injured as well.

In a separate air attack on the town of Tayr Debba overnight, three people were killed, and two were injured, according to the report.

Synagogue in Tehran destroyed in US-Israeli attack

According to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency, a residential building in central Tehran was targeted in one of the latest strikes and a synagogue adjacent to the residential building was also destroyed.

The report said that due to the narrowness of the streets surrounding the building that was targeted, the exterior and interior of the nearby buildings were also “severely damaged”.

There was no immediate report on casualties.

Additionally, Al Jazeera stated that Iranian state media reported that US-Israeli air attacks on residential areas in Alborz province have killed 18 people, including two children.

According to the state-linked Fars news agency, the deputy governor of Alborz province confirmed the deaths, adding that 24 others were wounded.

Israeli military warns Iranians against using trains

The Israeli army issued a statement warning Iranians against using trains for their “safety” until 9pm local time (10:30pm PKT).

“Your presence on trains and in the vicinity of railway lines endangers your life,” the military said on its Persian-language X account.

‼️ هشدار فوری به استفاده‌کنندگان و مسافران قطارها در کشور ایران.

⭕️ شهروندان گرامی، به منظور امنیت شما، خواهشمندیم از این لحظه تا ساعت ۲۱:۰۰ به وقت ایران، از استفاده و سفر با قطار در سراسر ایران خودداری نمایید.

⭕️ حضور شما در قطارها و در مجاورت خطوط راه‌آهن جانتان را به خطر می… pic.twitter.com/Fm3BAAEFra

— ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) April 7, 2026

Seperately, Al Jazeera reported that the King Fahd Causeway Authority has confirmed the full resumption of vehicle movement across the strategic bridge linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain after a brief suspension earlier today.

IEA chief: current fuel crisis worse than 1973, 1979, 2022 together

The current oil and gas crisis triggered by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is "more serious than the ones in 1973, 1979 and 2022 together", Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told Le Figaro newspaper.

"The world has never experienced a disruption to energy supply of such magnitude," he said in an interview with the French newspaper released in its Tuesday edition.

He said the European countries, as well Japan, Australia and others will suffer, but the countries most at risk were developing nations which will suffer from higher oil and gas prices, higher food prices and a general acceleration of inflation.

The IEA member countries agreed last month to release part of their strategic reserves. Some of this had already been released and the process continues, said Birol.

In reaction to the strikes by Israel and the US, Iran has almost entirely blocked the traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of world oil and gas regularly flows, creating a surge in energy prices.

Trump's ultimatum

US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges if it doesn't by Tuesday, 8:00 pm EDT.

President Trump was on the verge of a crisis in the Iran war, faced with the rare instance of an American airman shot down and stranded ​deep inside enemy territory.

Then, the airman's daring Easter weekend rescue gave the US president the chance to quickly flip the script.

Standing ‌before cameras on Monday, Trump recast the perilous operation as a providential military triumph, leaning in to its cinematic elements to project strength and command of a five-week-old war that remains deeply unpopular with US voters.

"We have incredibly talented people, and if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to bring them home safely," Trump told reporters at the White ​House. "God was watching us".

It was the second time in less than a week that the president had scheduled time to directly deliver ​his message on Iran to the public, taking on the role of executive producer and chief publicist of his ⁠presidency in his uniquely Trumpian way.

He has struggled to explain his rationale for the bombing campaign, including during a muddled prime-time address last week. His profanity-laced tirade ​on social media on Easter Sunday further pushed past the normal bounds of presidential communications and prompted questions from reporters about the 79-year-old president's mental ​fitness.

Read: Iran rejects ceasefire as deadline nears on Trump 'hell' ultimatum

The scene in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on Monday offered a familiar display of Trump's political instincts: seizing a high-profile moment to tell the story on his terms and using it as a unifying rallying cry to win support from war-weary Americans.

He detailed an intricate rescue mission that he conceded was bolstered ​by luck. Trump administration officials, normally loath to discuss internal deliberations, over the weekend helped reporters write vivid accounts of the stunning operation.

Trump described a ​bleeding officer who evaded capture in Iran for two days, and search-and-rescue teams scaling mountains and trying to lift aircraft out of wet sand before destroying machinery that ‌might otherwise ⁠fall into enemy hands.

"Hundreds of people could have been killed," Trump told reporters, noting that some military officials advised him against the operation.

"How many men did you send altogether?" Trump asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, who was standing nearby.

"I'd love to keep that a secret," Caine said.

"I'll keep it a secret, but it was hundreds and hundreds of these people," Trump said.

Reporters squeezed into the crowded room, blocking aisles and ​an entryway, and verbally sparred with ​one another to gain a more ⁠advantageous position in the president's line of sight.

Though Trump seemed to revel in the details of the military's prowess - suggesting at a separate White House event earlier on Monday that the rescue might someday be depicted in a ​movie - he also threatened to jail a journalist at an unnamed news outlet who first reported that one airman ​had been successfully ⁠rescued before the second missing airman was found.

Trump continued to express frustration with the speed of diplomacy to end the war, anger at US allies who will not help and exasperation with the blocked Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies. He dismissed a question about his mental ⁠health, saying, "I ​don't care about critics".

Read More: Trump confirms Pakistan-mediated peace talks

Asked whether he planned to escalate the war or end it, Trump ​was noncommittal.

"I can't tell you," Trump said. "I don't know".

As he moved to wrap up the hour-plus news conference, Trump sought to portray victory as an all-but-foregone conclusion.

"We won, OK?" he said. "They ​are militarily defeated".

Iran

The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia to the island kingdom of Bahrain, closed early Tuesday over threats from Iranian attacks.

The King Fahd Causeway Authority announced in a post on X.

It said vehicle movements had been “suspended as a precautionary measure” over Iranian attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

The 25-kilometre (15.5-mile) bridge is the only connection by road for Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, to the Arabian Peninsula.

A US-Israeli projectile flattened a synagogue in the centre of Tehran, according to reported from the Iranian news agency Mehr. The report did not elaborate on the casualties from the attack.

Iran has conveyed its response to the US proposal for ending the war to ​Pakistan, rejecting a ceasefire and emphasising the necessity ​of a permanent end to the war, the official IRNA ‌news ⁠agency said on Monday.

The US and Iran weighed ​a framework plan to end their five‑week-old conflict, as Tehran ⁠said it wanted a lasting end to the ​war and pushed back against pressure to swiftly reopen ​the Strait of Hormuz under a temporary ceasefire.

The Iranian response consisted of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait ​of Hormuz, ​lifting of ⁠sanctions, and reconstruction, the agency added.

Trump has threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran if it ​did not make a deal by 8:00 pm ⁠EDT (00:00 GMT) Tuesday that would allow traffic to start moving again through the vital route for global energy ⁠supplies.