Trump announces extension of ceasefire
As tensions rose in the final hours of the two-week temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran over whether negotiations between the parties would continue, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the ceasefire has been extended indefinitely.
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U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the current ceasefire with Iran has been extended until a conclusion is reached in the talks between the parties, but noted that the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz will continue, saying, "I have instructed our military to maintain the blockade, to remain vigilant in every respect, and to extend the ceasefire until the talks reach a conclusion."
In a statement on his social media account, Trump argued that the Iranian government is "seriously fracturing," and stated, "Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir requested that we halt our attacks on Iran until Iranian leaders and representatives can formulate a joint proposal."
Trump stated that the U.S. Navy's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would continue but that the ceasefire between the parties would remain in effect, adding, "For this reason, I have instructed our military to maintain the blockade, to remain vigilant in every respect, and to extend the ceasefire until a proposal is presented and the talks reach a positive or negative conclusion."
Iranian press: "Iranian delegation will not go to Pakistan"
In the final hours of the ceasefire, the Iranian press had announced that the Iranian delegation would not attend the negotiations expected to be held tomorrow in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The U.S. press, citing unnamed senior U.S. officials, reported that the visit to Pakistan by U.S. Vice President James David Vance, who is set to lead the U.S. delegation in the Iran-U.S. talks, had been suspended but not canceled.
Vance was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow morning, and the talks between the two countries were planned to resume tomorrow.
Iran's demand for the end of the blockade
The Tehran administration had repeatedly emphasized that the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz must be ended for negotiations between the parties to continue. Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Amir Saeid Iravani, stated in his remarks that the Tehran administration had received signals from the U.S. that the blockade could be ended.