Pakistan appeals to Trump to extend deadline, Iran to reopen Hormuz Strait

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedOpinionSportVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftUS-Israel war on IranLive updatesA visual guide to Iran’s coastlineIran's weaponsHow much more can Israelis take?Tracking the warcaret-rightNews|US-Israel war on IranPakistan appeals to Trump to extend deadline, Iran to reopen Hormuz StraitPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cites progress in diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of war, urges to allow diplomacy run its course. twitterwhatsappcopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoIslamabad has emerged as a new key mediator in the ongoing war in the middle East [File: Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 7 Apr 20267 Apr 2026Pakistan has made an 11-hour appeal to United States President Donald Trump to push back his deadline for an Iran deal by two weeks and to Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz during the same period, citing progress in a diplomatic push to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. “Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a post on X on Tuesday, just a few hours before the deadline Trump has set for Iranian authorities. “To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks,” he said, while also calling on Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz for the same two weeks “as a goodwill gesture”. “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region,” he added. White House press secretary ⁠Karoline Leavitt, speaking to Axios, said Trump was aware of ⁠Pakistan’s proposal and that a response will come. Separately, a senior Iranian official told Reuters news agency that Tehran is positively reviewing the request. Sharif’s message came a few hours before the end of the deadline imposed by Trump, who earlier on Tuesday escalated his rhetoric by suggesting in a Truth Social post the US would destroy the Iranian “civilisation” if Tehran does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz and submit to his terms. Iran has effectively brought maritime traffic at the key waterway- through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes – to a near-total halt in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks on its soil since February 28. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would not hesitate to respond in kind if the US attacks civilian facilities. A Pakistani source told Al Jazeera that detractors within all camps were trying to sabotage efforts to de-escalate and that until early morning, the possibility of a deal was on the table. “We’re at a dangerous escalation, but the possibility of diplomacy can’t be ruled out till the last minute,” the source said, adding that Islamabad remains committed to keeping all windows of talks open with all parties. As efforts for a diplomatic breakthrough intensified, Israel struck railways and and bridges in several areas across Iran while Iranian forces launched attacks against targets across the region, including Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. For more than two weeks, Trump has been warning that he would order the destruction of Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power stations, if his demands are not met. Legal experts says targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime. Oona Hathaway, a US legal scholar and professor at Yale University, said if Trump carries out his threat, his Truth Social post “will be exhibit A in future war crimes trials”. She also explained that while potential war crimes trials may not happen immediately, “there is no statute of limitations on war crimes and accountability sometimes takes decades.” “Maybe not in 3 years or 5 years or in 10 years, but eventually those responsible will have to be held to account,” Hathaway wrote in a social media post. 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