US-Iran ceasefire takes hold on Day 40, Hormuz set to reopen
Confidence: HIGH (88/100) | April 08, 2026 | Washington, District of Columbia, United States
aljazeera.com
In one sentence: The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7–8, mediated by Pakistan, halting 40 days of mutual strikes and partially reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: The Strait of Hormuz closure has caused the world's largest energy supply disruption since the 1970s oil crisis, driving global fuel shortages and economic turbulence. The ceasefire is fragile: Israel publicly contests whether Lebanon is included, Iran fired missiles into Israel hours after the announcement, and talks to resolve the nuclear question have not yet begun. Pakistani-mediated diplomacy in Islamabad on April 10 will determine whether a temporary pause becomes a durable settlement.
What Happened Today
- The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7–8, brokered by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, under which the US and Israel suspend bombing Iran and Iran commits to reopening the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage, according to NPR and the Times of Israel.
- President Trump announced the deal on Truth Social at 6:32 p.m. ET on April 7, less than two hours before his own deadline for Iran to reopen the strait or face destruction of its power plants and bridges, according to NPR.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared the ceasefire 'a victory for the United States,' framing it as the conclusion of Operation Epic Fury, which Trump had projected would last four to six weeks, according to the Times of Israel.
- A major dispute immediately emerged: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon, contradicting Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif, who said it covers 'Lebanon and elsewhere,' according to NPR.
- Iran fired ballistic missiles into Israel hours after the ceasefire announcement — lightly wounding three teenagers in southern Israel — while the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced a two-week suspension of regional operations, according to the Times of Israel.
Contested Claims
- NPR / Pakistani PM's statement on X: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the ceasefire covers Lebanon and all other theatres of the conflict. Netanyahu's office statement, reported by NPR and Times of Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the ceasefire explicitly does not include Lebanon, and that Israel retains the right to continue operations there.
- CNN, quoting Trump at a White House press conference, April 5–6: Trump said Iran is 'an active, willing participant' in negotiations, and that talks are 'going well.' Al Jazeera, quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry and state media: Iran denied any ceasefire or peace negotiations were taking place, called the US demands 'maximalist and irrational,' and described Trump as 'deceitful.'
- Trump administration officials, via Wikipedia/AP sourcing: Trump said the US goal included pre-empting an imminent Iranian threat and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): The IAEA said there was no evidence of a structured Iranian nuclear weapons program when the war began, though it could not confirm Iran's program was exclusively peaceful due to denied access.
Unverified / Single Source
- (Unverified — single source; described as a local media report and not independently corroborated by wire agencies) Iran struck the Rafi-Nia Synagogue in Tehran, completely destroying it. [Iranian local media via Al Jazeera]
- (Unverified — Iran denied the claim; single aggregated source, not confirmed by named wire) Two ballistic missiles were launched at the Diego Garcia military base on the Chagos Islands. [Wikipedia / Timeline of the 2026 Iran war]
- (Unverified — anonymous source; PJAK officially denied it; not independently corroborated) Kurdish PJAK forces launched a military offensive into Iranian territory from Iraq starting March 2. [Unnamed official from the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed dead in Iran (preliminary) | 2,076 | Al Jazeera live tracker, as of April 8 |
| Confirmed dead in Israel | At least 26 | Al Jazeera live tracker |
| US military fatalities | 13 confirmed killed in Iranian attacks | Al Jazeera / US CENTCOM |
| Killed in Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan) | 28 | Al Jazeera live tracker |
| Killed in Lebanon (Hezbollah-Israel front) | More than 1,400 | Wikipedia / Lebanon's Health Ministry, as of early April |
| Displaced persons in Lebanon | More than 1.1 million registered | United Nations, reported by Al Jazeera |
| War duration at ceasefire | 40 days (Feb 28 – Apr 8, 2026) | Al Jazeera day-count tracker |
| Iranian missiles fired at Israel (first 10 days) | 300 total, nearly half with cluster submunitions | Jewish Institute for National Security of America analysis, via Wikipedia |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the US-Iran ceasefire deal and what are the terms? The US and Iran agreed on April 7–8 to a two-week pause in hostilities, brokered by Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif. Under the deal, the US and Israel suspend strikes on Iran, while Iran commits to reopening the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage. Follow-up talks are scheduled for Islamabad on April 10.
Is the Strait of Hormuz reopening and what does that mean for oil prices? Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi said safe passage will be possible 'via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces' for two weeks. The strait's closure triggered what analysts describe as the largest global energy supply disruption since the 1970s oil crisis, causing fuel shortages across Asia and broad financial market volatility.
Does the ceasefire include Lebanon and the Hezbollah-Israel war? This is directly contested. Pakistani PM Sharif stated the ceasefire covers 'Lebanon and elsewhere.' Israeli PM Netanyahu's office countered that the pause does not apply to Lebanon. Hezbollah separately announced it had halted attacks on Israel and Israeli soldiers, but Israel's position leaves the Lebanon front legally ambiguous.
Background
The 2026 Iran war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeting Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure. Iran retaliated with hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles against Israel and US bases across nine countries, and closed the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict escalated a years-long confrontation that included a prior Twelve-Day War in June 2025 and decades of proxy conflict across the Middle East.
Sources
- npr.org — npr.org (unknown date)
- timesofisrael.com — timesofisrael.com (unknown date)
- aljazeera.com — aljazeera.com (unknown date)
- cnn.com — cnn.com (unknown date)
- washingtonpost.com — washingtonpost.com (unknown date)
- commonslibrary.parliament.uk — commonslibrary.parliament.uk (unknown date)
- en.wikipedia.org — en.wikipedia.org (unknown date)
- britannica.com — britannica.com (unknown date)