What happened
Pakistan on Monday transmitted a two-phase ceasefire framework to the United States and Iran that, if accepted, would halt fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set the stage for a final in-person round of talks in Islamabad, according to a Reuters report citing a source aware of the proposals.
Reuters, which first published the framework, said the plan was exchanged overnight and carried a two-tier structure: an immediate ceasefire plus a 15-to-20-day window to finalise a broader settlement. The text was tentatively dubbed the “Islamabad Accord” and was structured as a memorandum of understanding finalised electronically through Pakistan, which the source said was the sole communication channel in the talks. The expected endgame includes Iranian commitments not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, asked about the proposal by state broadcaster Pakistan TV, would neither confirm nor deny it. “There have been several reports of a 45-day ceasefire offer, or 15-point exchange. We do not comment on these individual, specific incidents,” he said, adding only that the “peace process is ongoing”.
Pakistan’s role on the ground
The Reuters source said Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, had been in contact “all night long” with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, positioning Rawalpindi as the backchannel for the highest-stakes diplomatic exchange of the war so far.
Two Pakistani sources separately told Reuters that Iran had yet to commit, despite intensified civilian and military outreach. “Iran has not responded yet,” one source said, noting that earlier Pakistani-, Chinese- and US-backed proposals for a temporary ceasefire had drawn no firm commitment.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency on Monday reported that Tehran had conveyed its response to the US proposal to intermediary Pakistan. The response consisted of 10 clauses covering an end to regional conflicts, a protocol for safe passage through Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction. At the White House, an annual Easter event became the backdrop for President Donald Trump’s verdict on the Iranian counter-offer: “They made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal. It’s a significant step. It’s not good enough.”
Why it matters
For Pakistan, the proposal tests whether its newly active mediation role, anchored by Field Marshal Munir’s ties to Gulf and Iranian counterparts, can produce a regional settlement and curb the fuel-price shock hitting its imports. For the warring parties, the framework keeps alive the only remaining channel that all three sides still publicly accept. For energy markets, the central question is whether the ceasefire can hold long enough to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply normally transits.
What is still uncertain
- Whether Iran will accept the Pakistan-brokered framework or stick with its own 10-clause counter-proposal, which Trump publicly rejected on Monday.
- Whether the Tuesday 8pm EDT ultimatum will trigger strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges as Trump threatened, or be extended again.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-04-06.
- Primary source — Reuters: "Iran, US receive plan to end hostilities, immediate ceasefire, source says"6 April 2026 · Original wire report on the Pakistan-brokered "Islamabad Accord" framework, the Asim Munir backchannel, and the structure of the two-phase deal.
- Independent source — Dawn: "'Peace process ongoing': FO neither confirms nor denies reports of Pakistan proposing framework to end Iran war"6 April 2026 · Pakistan-side framing: FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi's non-confirmation, the Reuters and Axios reports on the 45-day ceasefire, and Iran's demands.
- Independent source — Dawn: "Iran conveys to Pakistan its rejection of US ceasefire proposal: report"6 April 2026 · Iranian counter-proposal via IRNA, Trump's "not good enough" verdict at the White House Easter event, and the Hormuz bargaining position.
- Independent source — Axios: "Iran mediators make last-ditch push for 45-day ceasefire"6 April 2026 · Sunday report on the US-Iran-regional mediator talks, Trump's 20-hour deadline extension, and the Pakistani-Egyptian-Turkish mediator track.