
On April 7, 2026, the U.S. and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway carrying about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas. Markets rallied, oil prices dropped, and it looked like a breakthrough.
But within hours, cracks appeared. Iran, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Iran’s foreign minister all said the deal included a pause on Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. Israel kept striking Lebanon anyway, killing hundreds in a wave of attacks on Beirut and other areas. According to Mediaite, Iran called it a violation and threatened to walk away. That is when a phone call changed everything.