Trump’s last-minute TACO: The intermediary shuttled messages back and forth, multiple rounds of revisions in one day, Iranian senior officials made the final decision, behind-the-scenes chaos ensued.

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The crisis between the US and Iran, which nearly pushed the Middle East into a full-scale war, ultimately ended with a two-week ceasefire agreement—for now. According to CCTV News, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council issued a statement on the morning of the 8th, local time, saying that upon the advice of the Supreme Leader and approval of the Supreme National Security Council, they have accepted Pakistan's ceasefire proposal.

A previous article by WallStreetCN mentioned that from threatening “the annihilation of an entire civilization” to “a two-week ceasefire,” Trump’s dramatic reversal took only ten hours and twenty-six minutes. However, the behind-the-scenes diplomatic process was far more chaotic than publicly told. As reported by Axios, mediators from Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt shuttled back and forth between the US and Iran, conveying proposals, with drafts being revised multiple times within a single day, and it was ultimately Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei who personally made the final decision, thus enabling the agreement to take shape.

Before the ceasefire was officially announced, no one could predict how the situation would unfold. US troops stationed in the Middle East and Pentagon officials were still preparing for large-scale bombings of Iranian infrastructure in the final hours of negotiation; Trump’s close allies and advisors, up to an hour or two before he announced acceptance of the ceasefire, generally believed he would reject the agreement. An American defense official later admitted: "We had absolutely no idea what would happen—it was utter chaos."

The ceasefire order temporarily prevented further escalation, but differences remain unresolved. There is still a huge gap between the visions of the US and Iran for the final agreement, and the possibility of renewed conflict is real. Vice President Vance is expected to lead the US delegation at follow-up talks scheduled in Pakistan this Friday, which will be the most significant diplomatic mission of his political career so far.

Multiple Revisions in a Day, Three Countries Working as Mediators

On Monday morning, Trump attended Easter celebrations at the White House, while US envoy Steve Witkoff was “burning with anger,” engaged in a flurry of calls. According to media citing a directly informed source, Witkoff told all the mediators that the 10-point counterproposal just submitted by Iran "is a catastrophe, it’s a disaster."

This statement triggered a series of chaotic negotiation adjustments for the day. Pakistani mediators shuttled between Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to convey the latest draft, with Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers actively participating, trying to bridge differences between both sides. The three mediating parties took turns, making the entire process highly fragmented.

After a whole day of back-and-forth consultations, the mediators obtained US recognition of an updated two-week ceasefire proposal on Monday night. At this point, the ball was in Mojtaba Khamenei’s court.

Khamenei Decides Personally, Highly Secretive Communication

The direct involvement of Iran’s Supreme Leader was the turning point of the negotiations. According to media citing an Israeli official, a regional official, and another informed source, on Monday Khamenei for the first time since the outbreak of the war instructed negotiators to push toward an agreement—two sources called this shift a "breakthrough."

Facing the threat of assassination from Israel, Khamenei’s communication methods were extremely secretive, mainly relying on hand-delivered written notes, making his participation necessarily circuitous and time-consuming. During Monday and Tuesday, all major decisions required Khamenei’s approval. "Without his green light, there would be no agreement," said the regional source above.

Foreign Minister Araghchi also played a key role throughout the process—not only leading concrete negotiations, but also significantly contributing to persuading Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders to accept the agreement.

White House Insiders Left in the Dark, Ceasefire Uncertain Until the Last Moment

Even on Tuesday, the situation remained confusing. Trump that day issued his most intimidating threat: "Tonight, a civilization will vanish." Some US media reported that Iran had exited the negotiations, but according to Axios citing negotiation-related sources, the opposite was true, and there was actually some momentum at the time. Vance was then conducting mediation via phone in Hungary, mainly communicating with the Pakistani side.

By around noon Tuesday (Eastern US time), all parties reached a broad consensus on the two-week ceasefire proposal. Three hours later, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posted the terms of the ceasefire on X and called for both sides to accept. Immediately, Trump began receiving phone calls and texts from hawkish allies and confidants, urging him to reject the agreement.

The chaos surrounding Trump’s decision-making thus reached its peak. Multiple people who had spoken with Trump within the hour or two prior were still convinced he would not accept the ceasefire, until he actually posted. Before his post, Trump first called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, confirming his commitment to the ceasefire; then called Pakistani Army Chief and Marshal Asim Munir to officially finalize the deal. Fifteen minutes after Trump’s post, US troops received orders to stand down.

Ceasefire Implemented, Multiple Uncertainties Remain

After the agreement was reached, Araghchi immediately issued a statement, saying Iran would abide by the ceasefire and would open the Strait of Hormuz to vessels “coordinating with Iranian armed forces.” But the wording of the statement itself leaves a suspense—to what extent Iran will actually allow normal shipping to resume is still unclear.

There are also variables on the Israeli side. An Israeli senior official told Axios that Netanyahu had obtained American guarantees and would insist in negotiations that Iran hand over nuclear materials, stop uranium enrichment, and abandon ballistic missile threats. But Netanyahu’s commitment to the ceasefire is also in question—Israeli officials are increasingly worried about losing primary control of the process.

The fundamental differences between the US and Iran over the vision for the final agreement remain unresolved, and the risk of conflict reigniting is real. Whether Friday’s talks in Pakistan can turn this fragile ceasefire into a lasting framework will be a key moment testing the outcome of this last-minute diplomatic game.

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