The U.S.-Iran crisis that nearly plunged the Middle East into full-scale war has temporarily concluded with a two-week ceasefire agreement—according to reports from CCTV, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement early on the 8th, announcing that, based on the Supreme Leader’s recommendation and the Council’s approval, it has accepted the ceasefire proposal put forward by Pakistan.
As previously reported, the dramatic reversal from threatening "the end of civilization" to agreeing to a "two-week ceasefire" took just ten hours and twenty-six minutes. However, the diplomatic process behind the scenes was far more chaotic than the public narrative suggests. According to Axios, mediators from Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt shuttled between the U.S. and Iran with revised proposals, with the draft undergoing multiple changes within a single day. It was only after Iran’s Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei gave final approval that the agreement took shape.
Until the ceasefire announcement, the situation remained highly unpredictable. U.S. military forces in the Middle East and Pentagon officials were preparing for large-scale airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure in the final hours of negotiations. Even an hour or two before Trump announced the ceasefire on social media, his close allies and advisors widely believed he would reject the deal. A U.S. defense official later admitted, "We had no idea what would happen—it was pure chaos."
While the ceasefire has temporarily halted further escalation, deep divisions remain. A significant gap persists between the U.S. and Iranian visions for a final agreement, and the risk of renewed hostilities remains real. Vice President Vance is expected to lead the U.S. delegation in follow-up talks scheduled for this Friday in Pakistan—a diplomatic task of unprecedented significance in his political career.
The proposal underwent multiple revisions throughout the day, with mediators from three countries working tirelessly. On Monday morning, while Trump attended an Easter event at the White House, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was already "fuming" during back-to-back phone calls. According to a source with direct knowledge, Witkoff told intermediaries that Iran’s newly submitted 10-point counter-proposal was "a disaster, a catastrophe."
This remark set off a day of chaotic negotiations and revisions. Pakistani mediators shuttled the latest draft between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while foreign ministers from Egypt and Turkey also played active roles in bridging differences. The involvement of multiple mediators made the process highly fragmented.
After a full day of back-and-forth discussions, mediators secured U.S. approval for an updated two-week ceasefire proposal by Monday evening. At that point, the ball was in Mujtaba Khamenei’s court.
The direct involvement of Iran’s Supreme Leader marked a critical turning point in the negotiations. According to media reports citing an Israeli official, a regional official, and a third informed source, Khamenei had for the first time since the outbreak of hostilities instructed negotiators to work toward an agreement—a move described by two sources as a "breakthrough."
Facing assassination threats from Israel, Khamenei’s communication methods were extremely secretive, relying mainly on handwritten notes passed by couriers, making his participation indirect and time-consuming. Throughout Monday and Tuesday, all major decisions required his approval. "Without his green light, there would be no agreement," the regional source stated.
Foreign Minister Araghchi also played a key role—not only leading specific negotiations but also persuading commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to accept the agreement.
Even by Tuesday, confusion persisted within the White House. That day, Trump issued his most threatening statement yet: "Tonight, a civilization will perish." Some U.S. media outlets reported that Iran had withdrawn from talks, but according to Axios, citing individuals involved in the negotiations, the opposite was true—there was actually some momentum toward an agreement. At the time, Vice President Vance was mediating via phone from Hungary, primarily communicating with Pakistani officials.
Around noon Eastern Time on Tuesday, a general consensus on the two-week ceasefire proposal had formed. Three hours later, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posted the terms of the ceasefire on X and called on both sides to accept it. Shortly after, however, Trump began receiving calls and messages from hawkish allies and close aides urging him to reject the proposal.
Confusion over Trump’s final decision reached its peak. Several individuals who had spoken with Trump just an hour or two earlier remained convinced he would not accept the ceasefire—until he actually posted the announcement. Before doing so, Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to secure his commitment to the ceasefire, and then phoned Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir to finalize the agreement. Fifteen minutes after Trump’s post, U.S. forces received orders to stand down.
Although the ceasefire is in place, multiple uncertainties remain. Shortly after the agreement was reached, Araghchi issued a statement saying Iran would comply with the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to vessels "coordinating with Iranian armed forces." However, the wording itself leaves room for interpretation—the extent to which Iran will allow normal shipping operations to resume remains unclear.
Israel also remains a variable. A senior Israeli official told Axios that Netanyahu had received U.S. assurances that talks would insist on Iran surrendering nuclear materials, halting uranium enrichment, and abandoning ballistic missile threats. However, the strength of Netanyahu’s commitment to the ceasefire is still uncertain—Israeli officials have expressed concern over their diminishing control of the process.
Fundamental differences between the U.S. and Iran over the final agreement remain unresolved, and the risk of renewed conflict is real. Whether Friday’s talks in Pakistan can transform this fragile ceasefire into a lasting framework will be a critical test of this last-minute diplomatic effort.