Trump extends ceasefire with Iran ‘until discussions concluded’
Trump also said he directed the US Navy to continue its blockade of Iranian ports.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was extending the ceasefire with Iran at the request of Pakistan, hours before it was set to expire.
Writing in a Truth Social post, Trump said the US Navy would continue its blockade of Iranian ports but that he would extend the ceasefire until the country’s “leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.”
“I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” Trump said.
There was no immediate response from Iran.
In a post on X, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for “graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.”
“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal,'” Sharif said.
The two-week ceasefire that began on April 8 was set to expire at 7:50 p.m. EST, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X, although Trump said the deadline was Wednesday evening.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump told CNBC it was "highly unlikely" he would agree to an extension.
Should no deal be reached, “I expect to be bombing, because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. ... We’re ready to go," Trump said.
Vice President JD Vance paused plans to travel to Islamabad on Tuesday amid uncertainty over whether the Iranians would attend the second round of direct talks. Iran reportedly told the mediators that it wouldn’t send a negotiating team to the Pakistani capital for talks before the US blockade is lifted.
The ceasefire extension comes after US troops boarded a tanker ship in the Indian Ocean overnight in what marked the US military's second interdiction of an Iran-linked vessel in international waters in days.
Separately, the US Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sanctions on more than a dozen individuals, entities and aircraft based in Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates that it said were involved in procuring or transporting weapons on behalf of Iran.
