US-Iran Ceasefire Takes Hold After Pakistan Mediation

A temporary ceasefire in the ongoing war between the United States and Iran took hold early Thursday after intense overnight mediation by Pakistan, averting what officials described as an imminent collapse of diplomatic efforts. The agreement, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, pauses direct hostilities between Washington and Tehran for two weeks to allow negotiations on a permanent resolution, but it faces immediate strain from Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, which Iran views as a violation extending the conflict's scope.

The breakthrough came hours before a U.S.-imposed deadline, following a flurry of backchannel communications coordinated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Four sources familiar with the talks said Pakistan shuttled messages between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi. The effort nearly derailed after an Iranian strike on a Saudi petrochemical facility in Jubail, which Tehran said was retaliation for an Israeli attack on an Iranian site. Riyadh expressed outrage,...