US-Iran ceasefire under strain within hours as Pakistan PM flags violations, Iran points finger at Israel

The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran came under immediate strain on Wednesday, hours after it was announced, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledging that violations had already been reported, even as he urged all parties to hold the line and give diplomacy a chance.

"Violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places across the conflict zone which undermine the spirit of peace process," Sharif said in a post on X. "I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict."

Iran had accepted the ceasefire on the condition that US and Israeli attacks stop, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posting on X: "If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations."



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Araghchi also separately raised concerns about Israeli ceasefire violations in a call with the commander of Iran's armed forces, according to reports, adding another fault line to a truce that was already riddled with contradictions at the moment of its birth.

A key flashpoint is the question of Lebanon. Pakistani PM Sharif had announced that the US, Iran and their allies "have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere," saying the move was "effective immediately." However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office directly contradicted this, stating that the two-week truce "does not include Lebanon."

Netanyahu said Israel backed US President Donald Trump's efforts to ensure "Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran's Arab neighbors and the world," but was unambiguous that its military operations in Lebanon would continue.


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The truce, brokered by Pakistan, follows 40 days of US-Israeli strikes on Iran that had pushed the region to the brink of a wider war, with fierce exchanges of air strikes, missile attacks, disrupted global shipping routes, and unprecedented strikes on Gulf nations.

Despite the early turbulence, Pakistan is pressing ahead with its mediating role. Sharif has invited US and Iranian delegations to Islamabad on April 10 "to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes."