Today’s news update on the US ceasefire agreement with Iran is contradictory and fast-moving: The New York Times reported that Iran has halted ceasefire negotiations entirely after Trump’s “Civilization Will Die” article, while Iran’s Tehran Times simultaneously insisted that “diplomatic and indirect channels for talks with the United States are not closed.”
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- The New York Times, citing three senior Iranian officials, reported that Iran informed Pakistani mediators that it would end ceasefire negotiations after Trump’s post at 8 a.m. ET on April 7.
- The Wall Street Journal reported separately that Iran had cut off “direct contacts with the United States,” while Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan said mediation efforts had reached a “critical and sensitive stage.”
- Iran has put forward a 10-point peace proposal through Pakistani mediators in which it rejects a temporary ceasefire and instead calls for a permanent end to the war, the lifting of all sanctions, and reconstruction.
Today’s news of an update to the US ceasefire agreement with Iran reflects a conflict between what different governments are saying publicly and what is happening through back channels. According to what was reported by CNBC. Quoted from New York Times directly: “The New York Times, citing three senior Iranian officials, reported that Iran had halted negotiation efforts with the United States and told Pakistan, which acted as mediator, that it would end ceasefire talks.” The Wall Street Journal added that Iran has cut “direct contacts with the United States.” But Iran’s Tehran Times reported on X that “diplomatic and indirect channels for talks with the United States are not closed” – and Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan said peace efforts had reached a “critical and sensitive stage.”
The immediate catalyst for this was Trump’s post on Truth Social just after 8 a.m. EST on April 7, in which he wrote that “an entire civilization will die tonight.” Iranian officials indicated that this publication was not consistent with the negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei had said the previous day that the talks were “completely inconsistent with warnings, crimes and threats to commit war crimes.”
Before the collapse, Iran submitted a formal 10-point proposal through Pakistani mediators. The proposal rejected any temporary 45-day ceasefire, demanding instead a permanent end to the conflict, a protocol governing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of all US sanctions, and funding for Iranian reconstruction. Trump publicly acknowledged the proposal on Monday, calling it an “important step” but “not good enough.”
Why was a 45-day ceasefire not a start for Iran?
Iran’s refusal to accept a temporary ceasefire is rooted in its experience during Israel’s 12-day war in June 2025, which Iran says showed it that ceasefire agreements do not prevent future attacks. Such as crypto.news I mentionedIran has consistently demanded that any agreement include safeguards against future attacks – not just a temporary pause – and that the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will only take place under a comprehensive final agreement, and not as a confidence-building measure in an initial phase.
What do markets do with mixed signals?
The contradiction between formal withdrawal and back-channel communication is precisely what has made it so difficult for markets to price this conflict. Such as crypto.news maleBitcoin fell below $69,000 when Trump asserted that the previous Iranian proposal was not enough, as traders returned to bearish positions. The pattern throughout this conflict has been the same: ceasefire signals produce short relief marches, and their collapse reverses these gains within hours.
As 8 p.m. ET approaches, the credibility of any remaining indirect channel depends almost entirely on whether Iran uses the next few hours to signal something concrete to Pakistani intermediaries — or whether tonight will see the military escalation that Trump has threatened.
“All elements must be agreed today,” a source familiar with the proposals told Reuters early on Tuesday. He added, “The initial understanding will be organized in the form of a memorandum of understanding that will be finalized electronically through Pakistan, which is the only communication channel in the talks.”
