Original Source
Iran's Supreme Leader Orders Truce with Trump Amid Escalating Tensions
Iran's Supreme Leader Orders Truce
On Monday, as President Trump's ultimatum loomed, an intriguing development emerged: Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had instructed his negotiators, for the first time since the war began, to move towards a deal. This information was confirmed by U.S. and Israeli officials. While President Trump publicly threatened 'total annihilation,' diplomatic momentum was building behind the scenes. At the time, U.S. forces in the Middle East were preparing for a massive bombing campaign on Iranian infrastructure, and regional allies braced for unprecedented Iranian retaliation.
Intense Diplomatic Process
On Monday morning, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff described Iran's 10-point counter-proposal as 'a disaster, a catastrophe.' This initiated a 'chaotic' day of amendments, with Pakistani mediators passing new drafts between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers also worked to bridge gaps. By Monday night, the mediators had secured U.S. approval for an updated proposal for a two-week ceasefire. The final decision rested with Khamenei, who was actively involved in the process despite facing an active threat of assassination by Israel, communicating primarily via runners. His blessing for his negotiators to cut a deal was described as a 'breakthrough.'
*Source: Axios (2026-04-08)*
