Iran has confirmed a two-week ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan, according to a statement from the country’s Supreme National Security Council cited by Mehr News Agency. The announcement was made on April 8, 2026, and the deal was approved by Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The statement described the ceasefire as a victory for Iran and noted that a follow-up meeting will be held in Islamabad, Pakistan, to discuss the possibility of a permanent agreement. The report did not specify the parties involved in the conflict or the terms of the ceasefire.

Further discussions in Islamabad are expected to determine whether the temporary truce can evolve into a lasting peace arrangement, though details remain limited at this stage.

Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East. Following discussions with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Egypt, according to a statement released on April 8, 2026.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Ishaq Dar briefed his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts on Pakistan’s position regarding the current situation in the Middle East and its ongoing initiatives to promote peace. The ministry’s statement added that the latest progress in Pakistan’s dialogue and diplomatic activities aimed at maintaining regional peace and stability was shared with both ministers.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, indicates that Pakistan continues to pursue active engagement with key regional partners to support dialogue and de-escalation in the Middle East.

Professor Sultan Barakat of Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Public Policy department has warned that Israel may be planning a limited strategic nuclear strike. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said Israel could attempt such an attack to demonstrate itself as a nuclear power, interpreting recent language from both Israel and the United States as indicative of this possibility.

Barakat linked U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of phrases like “great surprise” and “civilization will be destroyed” to the potential for such an operation. He noted that although Israel has never officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons, it is widely believed to have nuclear capability. According to Barakat, Israel previously used its nuclear capacity mainly as a deterrent, but that approach has failed.

He added that Israeli policymakers might now seek to reveal their nuclear status through a controlled strike designed to limit radiation spread and destruction. The White House, however, has denied any U.S. plan to use nuclear weapons against Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump has postponed a planned military strike on Iran for two weeks, just hours after threatening to destroy Iranian civilization. The announcement came shortly before the original deadline for the attack. Trump stated that the temporary suspension would remain in effect only if Iran immediately and fully ensured safe passage for ships through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

According to the report, Trump made this decision following an 11-hour special proposal from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he agreed to the two-week suspension at the request of Sharif and Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir. He described the move as a “mutual ceasefire” between both sides.

The condition attached to the suspension underscores the importance of the Strait of Hormuz for international maritime trade. The situation remains tense as the two-week period begins, with the ceasefire dependent on Iran’s compliance.

Israel is facing heightened tension as its military anticipates a possible large-scale missile attack from Iran. According to reports, Iranian missile strikes have already continued throughout the day, targeting several Israeli cities. The central region, home to nearly half of Israel’s population, has reportedly experienced the most intense attacks.

Unrest has also been reported in the southern part of the country. At least two incidents were noted in which Iranian missiles were fired toward Beersheba, Dimona, and surrounding areas. The situation remains volatile, with Israeli defense forces on high alert for further escalation.

The ongoing attacks have raised fears of a broader conflict in the region, as both sides appear to be preparing for potential military escalation in the coming hours.

An airstrike has hit the headquarters of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) north of Baghdad, according to a PMF source cited by Al Jazeera. The report, published on April 8, 2026, did not specify who carried out the attack or whether there were any casualties.

The PMF, a coalition of armed groups operating under the Iraqi government’s authority, has been a significant force in Iraq’s security landscape. The source report focused solely on confirming the strike, without providing further operational or political details.

No additional information was available regarding the extent of the damage or potential responses from Iraqi authorities or the PMF leadership.

Iran has issued a warning of severe attacks targeting the military and energy infrastructure of the United States and its allies in the Middle East. Ibrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s Armed Forces Joint Command, stated that Tehran would take measures to deprive Washington and its partners of access to the region’s oil and gas for years, forcing them to withdraw completely.

According to a statement published by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Zolfaghari claimed that Iran had launched ballistic and cruise missile as well as drone strikes on various US and Israeli-linked targets across the Middle East. He further asserted that more than 30 locations in Israel’s central and southern regions had been attacked.

The report reflects escalating regional tensions, with Iran signaling its readiness to expand military operations against US and Israeli interests in response to ongoing conflicts in the area.

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard has condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric against Iranians. In a post on X, she said Trump’s verbal attacks are growing in intensity and violence, warning that they are not merely words but actions that could have real-world consequences.

Callamard stated that such rhetoric often leads to targeted, indiscriminate, or disproportionate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. She described the situation as terrifying and questioned how people could protect themselves from threats to their very existence. Her remarks highlighted the potential for escalating tensions to harm populations across Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and Gulf countries.

Citing Al Jazeera as the source, the report underscores Amnesty’s concern over the humanitarian risks of inflammatory political language and its call for restraint to prevent further regional instability.

France has finalized the sale of its remaining gold holdings stored at the U.S. Federal Reserve, completing a long-term initiative to repatriate and modernize its gold reserves. The Banque de France earned nearly 13 billion euros, or about $15 billion, after upgrading 129 tonnes of gold between July 2025 and January 2026 and replacing them with new, compliant bars now stored in Paris. The central bank stated that the move was a practical financial decision, not a political one.

By consolidating its reserves in Paris and adopting modern-standard bars, France has made its gold easier to manage and trade internationally. The transaction, which represented about 5 percent of France’s total 2,437-tonne reserve, took advantage of high gold prices and favorable market conditions. Instead of refining and transporting the old bars, the bank purchased equivalent new gold in Europe, maintaining the overall reserve size.

According to Reuters, the Banque de France reported 11 billion euros in exceptional foreign exchange income in 2025, with total gains reaching nearly 13 billion euros after 2026 transactions. The bank plans to upgrade an additional 134 tonnes of gold to international standards by 2028.

The White House on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that the United States would use a nuclear weapon against Iran after President Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran failed to reach a deal by an 8 p.m. deadline. The administration’s Rapid Response account on X called such claims baseless, responding to a post implying that Vice President Vance’s remarks in Hungary hinted at nuclear options. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that only the president knows what actions he will take if Iran does not comply by the deadline.

The controversy followed Trump’s social media posts setting the 8 p.m. deadline and threatening severe consequences if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. also struck military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, a key hub for the country’s oil exports. Vice President Vance said the strike did not represent a change in strategy but emphasized that the president understands leverage and expects a response from Iran by the deadline.

The White House’s firm denial aimed to counter speculation about nuclear escalation while maintaining pressure on Tehran to respond to U.S. demands.

A powerful missile strike hit the southern Iraqi city of Basra near the Iran border, killing at least three civilians and injuring six others, according to reports published on April 8, 2026. The missile struck the Al Zubair area of Basra, damaging a residential house, an agricultural warehouse, and a garden. Two pickup trucks were also severely damaged in the explosion.

Al Jazeera reported that the missile was fired from the direction of Kuwait. Preliminary assessments suggest it might have been a U.S. missile strike, though no official confirmation has been made. The injured victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

As of the report’s publication, none of the countries potentially involved had issued an official response regarding the incident, leaving the origin and intent of the attack unclear.

Pope Leo, the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church, has openly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for issuing what he called an “unacceptable” threat against Iran. Speaking on April 8, 2026, the pontiff referred to Trump’s post warning that an entire civilization could be destroyed if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a threat directed at all Iranian people.

Pope Leo, known as a vocal critic of the Iran war, urged people worldwide to contact their political representatives to help end the escalating regional conflict. His remarks came amid growing international concern over tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Earlier, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement urging President Trump to step back from the brink of war and pursue a fair settlement in the interest of peace, according to Al Jazeera.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to extend the deadline related to the Iran agreement by two weeks. In a post on social media platform X, Sharif also called on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open during this period as a gesture of goodwill. He said that diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East were progressing strongly and consistently, with hopes of achieving significant results soon.

Sharif emphasized that extending the deadline would allow diplomacy a fair chance to succeed. He appealed to all warring parties in the region to observe a two-week ceasefire everywhere, arguing that such a pause could pave the way for a final resolution of the war through negotiations.

The appeal comes amid heightened tensions in the region, including reports of missile attacks near the Iraq-Iran border and strong international criticism of recent threats and military actions.

Former head of nuclear verification and safety policy coordination at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tariq Rauf, has warned that a direct strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant could lead to a catastrophe comparable to Chernobyl or Hiroshima. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said that while such plants are designed to withstand impacts, the real outcome of an attack remains uncertain.

Rauf cautioned that contamination in the Gulf region could persist for years, rendering vast areas uninhabitable. He explained that desalination plants would fail, fish supplies would collapse, and hundreds of kilometers could become unsafe for habitation. He further noted that exposure to radiation could cause blisters, loss of consciousness, bleeding, and cancer among affected populations.

Calling any deliberate or accidental targeting of the facility irresponsible, Rauf warned that even a stray drone could crash into the reactor, underscoring the severe risks of escalation in the region.

In Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet, acting Union Parishad chairman Md. Kabir Ahmad has made serious allegations against Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Munmun Nahar Asha. At a press conference on April 6, Kabir Ahmad claimed that the UNO threatened him for refusing to sign documents related to an election CCTV project and later arranged his removal from office. He alleged that the UNO recommended his dismissal and the appointment of an administrator despite a pending Supreme Court case regarding his position.

According to Kabir Ahmad, the Election Commission allocated Tk 656,000 for installing CCTV cameras in 20 high-risk polling centers during the February 12 national election. He alleged that the UNO concealed the project and instead instructed him to submit a separate proposal worth Tk 605,000 under local tax funds. He further claimed that similar projects totaling Tk 3.8 million were imposed on other unions, with signatures obtained under pressure.

Kabir Ahmad described the actions as retaliatory and damaging to the government’s image, urging administrative and anti-corruption authorities to investigate the alleged irregularities.