What comes next in the Iran war? What this ceasefire will and won't do |
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What comes next in the Iran war? What this ceasefire will and won't do
The next two weeks will reveal whether both sides negotiated seriously — or whether each used the pause to reposition for the next confrontation
By Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, (ret.) Fox News
Published April 8, 2026 11:00am EDT
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US, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire as Strait of Hormuz reopens
Former NSC Senior Director Michael Allen highlights concerns over Iran's demands for tolls and unimpeded access for ships through the vital waterway after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
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The Iran ceasefire was less than three hours old when missiles began flying from Iran toward Israel and the Gulf states. That detail — documented in real time — tells you more about the durability of this agreement than any official statement. A pause is not peace. A handshake in Islamabad is not a settlement. And a region that has been at war for 40 days does not stand down because two governments issued parallel social media posts.
The two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Gen. Asim Munir is genuinely welcome. It stepped both sides back from a precipice with real humanitarian and strategic consequences. But Vice President JD Vance himself called it a "fragile truce." That is the most honest thing anyone in this administration has said about it. Hold that phrase.
What the Ceasefire Actually Says
Under the agreement, Iran has committed to allowing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week period, "with due consideration of technical limitations" — Iran’s qualifier, not ours. The United States and Israel have suspended bombing operations. President Donald Trump declared Iran’s 10-point proposal "a workable basis on which to negotiate," adding that "almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to." That claim requires scrutiny. Iran’s demands include lifting all sanctions, withdrawing U.S. combat forces from regional bases, war reparations,........