President Donald Trump announced a 14-day ceasefire with Iran in a social media post on April 8, 2026, after threatening Tehran with “annihilation” and warning that its power plants and other critical infrastructure could be destroyed if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened. The announcement came about 90 minutes before his deadline, turning a military ultimatum into a temporary pause that the White House quickly framed as a triumph of force and leverage. **Who Gets to Call It Peace** White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the two-week ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran a “victory for the United States that President Trump and our incredible military made happen.” She said, “From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump estimated this would be a 4-6 week operation,” and added, “Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of our warriors, we have achieved and exceeded our core military objectives in 38 days.” Leavitt also said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would hold a press conference on Wednesday morning. Leavitt said, “The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace,” and later added, “Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace.” The language makes the hierarchy plain: military force first, diplomacy second, and ordinary people left to absorb the consequences while officials congratulate themselves. The Associated Press said the ceasefire was expected to pave the way to end the nearly six-week-old war. Trump said, “The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.” That statement came from the same apparatus that had just threatened destruction if Tehran did not comply. **Markets Cheer, People Pay** Reuters reported that U.S. stock index futures jumped and crude oil prices fell on expectations that Middle East energy supplies could resume after the ceasefire. The Jerusalem Post said global markets rallied and oil dropped below $100, with the main oil barrel indexes showing a 15% average fall, while most markets worldwide, especially Asian markets, were opening in early trading hours. The immediate winners were not the people under the bombs or the threat of them, but the markets that treat war and ceasefire as price signals. The Jerusalem Post also reported that Tehran launched a missile barrage toward Israel after the ceasefire announcement, while Gulf states were on high alert. Its live updates said the IDF reported overnight strikes in Iran that targeted launch sites and disrupted a planned missile barrage. Even with a ceasefire announced, the machinery of escalation kept grinding, and the region remained on edge under the command decisions of states and militaries. **Mediators, Managers, and the Strait** Pakistan, described as a key mediator between the American and Iranian representatives, was the first country to respond publicly and welcomed the agreement. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, “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.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later denied Sharif’s claim that the ceasefire included Lebanon, saying, “The two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon.” Egypt also said it welcomed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and the suspension of all military activity in the region. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia welcomed the ceasefire and had been working on a diplomatic solution to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and he thanked Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia for mediation efforts. German Chancellor Frederich Merz also welcomed the ceasefire and thanked Pakistan for the mediation efforts, saying, “The aim now is to negotiate a lasting end to the war. We are in close coordination with our partners on this matter.” The AP said the ceasefire came after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance while also asking Iran to open the strait for two weeks. The AP also said China, Iran’s biggest trading partner and the United States’ most significant economic competitor, quietly helped find a pathway toward a ceasefire, according to two officials briefed on the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The AP said the ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through Hormuz, according to a regional official. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction, while it was not immediately clear what Oman would use its money for. The AP said the Strait of Hormuz is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran and had long been considered an international waterway that never paid tolls before. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Trump was effectively giving Tehran “control” of the strait and delivering “a history-changing win for Iran.” Murphy said, “The level of incompetence is both stunning and heartbreaking.” The AP also reported that Trump was set to meet at the White House on Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and that the emerging ceasefire and plan to reopen the strait were expected to be at the center of talks. In other words, the same hierarchy that threatened destruction is now managing the terms of passage, tolls, and “peace.”
