US and Iran Agree to Two-Week Ceasefire, But Netanyahu Warns Lebanon is Excluded

While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif initially announced that the ceasefire would be “effective immediately” and apply “everywhere including Lebanon,” the Israeli government quickly countered this claim.

RMN News Political Desk
New Delhi | April 8, 2026

JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON — In a major diplomatic development, United States President Donald Trump and the Iranian government have agreed to a two-week ceasefire to halt the escalating conflict that has gripped the region since late February. While the deal, mediated by Pakistan, aims to provide an “offramp” for negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly stated that the truce does not extend to Lebanon, where Israeli forces continue their campaign against Hezbollah.

A Fragile Truce and the 10-Point Plan

The ceasefire follows a “workable” 10-point proposal presented by Iran via Pakistani mediators. President Trump announced the pause on social media, noting that he agreed to suspend the bombing of Iran for 14 days after receiving requests from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. A primary condition for the US pause is the “complete, immediate, and safe opening” of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy corridor that has been largely blocked since the conflict began five weeks ago.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has characterized the agreement as a “significant diplomatic victory,” asserting that the deal acknowledges their 10-point list of demands. These conditions include:

• Continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.
• The lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions.
• International acceptance of Iran’s nuclear enrichment.
• The withdrawal of US combat forces from the region.

President Trump stated that Iran has agreed to “almost all” past points of contention and that the two-week window will allow for a permanent agreement to be finalized during negotiations set to begin this Friday in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The Lebanon Exception

Despite the optimism in Washington and Tehran, the situation remains dire on the northern front. While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif initially announced that the ceasefire would be “effective immediately” and apply “everywhere including Lebanon,” the Israeli government quickly countered this claim.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office issued a statement clarifying that while Israel supports US efforts to neutralize Iranian threats, the truce “does not include Lebanon”. Netanyahu emphasized that the goal remains ensuring Iran and its allies no longer pose a “nuclear, missile and terror threat” to Israel and the world.

Rising Humanitarian Toll

The conflict in Lebanon has intensified since March 2, when the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah began retaliatory strikes following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28. Since then, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,500 people and displaced over 1 million in Lebanon. Recent reports highlight the severity of the crisis, including the destruction of a psychiatric hospital in Tehran and the death of a Lebanese priest by Israeli tank fire.

The United Nations has warned of a widening catastrophe as the Israeli military continues its invasion of southern Lebanon to establish a “buffer zone”. As of Wednesday, no immediate comment has been made by Hezbollah or the Lebanese government regarding Netanyahu’s exclusion of their territory from the ceasefire.