ISLAMABAD: A major setback has hit the two-week US-Iran ceasefire barely hours after it took effect.
US President Donald Trump has explicitly confirmed that Lebanon remains outside the agreement.
Iran has responded by suspending all oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The fragile truce now stands on the brink of collapse.
Trump made the clarification during a PBS News Hour interview on April 8 2026 stating continued Israeli operations in Lebanon constitute a separate skirmish unrelated to the Iran deal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced the position declaring Lebanon is not part of the US-Iran ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office welcomed the pause on strikes against Iran but stressed the two-week truce does not extend to Hezbollah operations in Lebanon.
This directly contradicts Pakistan’s mediation claims that the ceasefire covered all fronts including Lebanon.
Iranian state-linked Fars News Agency reported the immediate suspension of tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz citing Israeli attacks on Lebanon as the trigger.
The waterway which handles 21 million barrels of oil per day or roughly 20 percent of global seaborne petroleum trade now faces renewed disruption.
Global oil prices which dipped below 100 dollars per barrel on the initial ceasefire announcement have begun rebounding sharply amid fears of prolonged closure.
Semi-official Iranian outlets stated only two tankers had crossed since the truce began compared to normal daily averages of dozens.
The Strait of Hormuz closure echoes Iran’s earlier strategy during the March-April 2026 escalation when it effectively throttled traffic in response to US and Israeli strikes.
Negotiations scheduled for April 10 in Islamabad between US and Iranian delegations now carry heightened stakes.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who brokered the deal had announced an immediate comprehensive ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon.
Yet both Washington and Tel Aviv have rejected that interpretation leaving Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts in a delicate position.
Over 1500 people have already died in Lebanon from Israeli operations since the broader conflict intensified.
Hezbollah which Iran backs has continued rocket and drone attacks prompting Israeli ground incursions and air strikes around Beirut and southern Lebanon.
The exclusion of Lebanon has sparked outrage in Tehran with officials warning the entire agreement could unravel without a full regional halt.
US officials insist the core deal focuses solely on halting direct strikes on Iranian territory and ensuring safe Hormuz passage under Iranian military coordination.
Yet the latest Iranian move has sent shockwaves through energy markets with shipping insurers already raising premiums for Gulf routes.
Regional analysts note that even a partial Hormuz blockade could add 30 to 50 dollars per barrel to crude prices within days.
The ceasefire which Trump hailed as a double-sided victory now appears conditional and highly vulnerable.
Iran had agreed to reopen the strait in exchange for the two-week pause but now links compliance to Lebanon developments.
This creates a dangerous feedback loop where Israeli actions in one theatre directly threaten the US-Iran understanding.
Experts tracking maritime traffic via satellite confirm a sharp drop in vessel activity near the narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman.
Only limited coordinated passages under Iranian oversight were expected during the truce but the latest suspension has halted even those.
Domestic sentiment in Pakistan remains supportive of Tehran’s stance given Islamabad’s long-standing ties with Iran and its role in mediation.
Yet the diverging narratives from Washington Tel Aviv and Tehran risk undermining future talks set for Islamabad.
Oil-dependent economies from Europe to Asia now face renewed supply fears with liquefied natural gas shipments also affected.
The episode underscores the complexity of decoupling the Iran nuclear and maritime issues from the parallel Israel-Hezbollah theatre.
As of April 8 evening the ceasefire holds tenuously for Iran proper but fighting intensifies in Lebanon with fresh strikes reported near Tyre and Beirut.
Trump’s confirmation and Iran’s Hormuz response have transformed an already delicate two-week window into a high-stakes diplomatic test.
Whether the Strait reopens fully by April 10 or remains a pressure point will likely determine if the broader truce survives.