By Micah Jonah, April 8, 2026
Pakistan has made an urgent diplomatic appeal to United States President, Donald Trump to extend his deadline for an Iran deal by two weeks, while also urging Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the same period. The request comes amid ongoing efforts to resolve the US-Israel war on Iran through peaceful negotiations.
“Diplomatic efforts for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily and have the potential to lead to substantive results in the near future,” Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X on Tuesday. He called on all parties to observe a two-week ceasefire to allow diplomacy run its course.
White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt told Axios that President Trump is aware of Pakistan’s proposal and that a response would follow. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran is reviewing the request positively.
The appeal came just hours before the deadline set by Trump, who earlier escalated tensions by warning that the US would destroy Iranian “civilization” if Tehran did not comply and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is critical for global energy supplies, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas traffic. Iran has effectively halted maritime traffic in the strait in response to US and Israeli attacks since February 28.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that “self-restraint is over” and that its response would extend beyond the region if US forces crossed its red lines.
Diplomatic sources in Islamabad noted that opposition within all parties was complicating negotiations, but they stressed that the possibility of a deal remained open. “We are at a dangerous escalation, but diplomacy cannot be ruled out until the last minute,” one source said.
Meanwhile, military activity continued in the region. Israel struck railways and bridges across Iran, while Iranian forces launched attacks against targets in Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Legal experts have warned that targeting civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime. Oona Hathaway, a US legal scholar at Yale University, noted that President Trump’s public statements – threatening Iran’s civilian infrastructure could be used as evidence in future war crimes trials. She added that while accountability may take decades, those responsible could eventually face prosecution.
