US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States is extending the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to make room for continued peace talks. The announcement came as the agreed ceasefire was coming to an end. However, it was not clear on Wednesday morning whether Iran and Israel agree to the extension of the ceasefire, reports TASR.
- Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran for peace talks.
- Washington postponed the attack on Iran at the request of Pakistani mediators for time.
- The United States continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports despite the cease-fire.
- Iranian officials call the extension of the ceasefire a tactical move by the United States.
- The war claimed more than five thousand civilian victims and disrupted world energy markets.
Trump said on his social network Truth Social that Washington granted the request of Pakistani mediators to postpone the attack on Iran“until its leaders and representatives come up with a unified proposal and the negotiations are concluded, one way or another”.
Although the head of the White House announced the extension of the ceasefire, at the same time, he confirmed the continuation of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, which Tehran considers an act of war. The Iranian leadership did not immediately comment on his announcement, but initial reactions from Tehran indicate skepticism.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guards, said that Iran did not ask for an extension of the truce, and again threatened to break the American blockade by force. An adviser to the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baker Kalibaf, called the extension of the ceasefire a tactical move by the US to buy time. “Trump’s extension of the ceasefire is undoubtedly a tactical move to buy time for a surprise attack. The time has come for Iran to take the initiative.” stated.
The original two-week ceasefire began on April 8. Iran said on Tuesday that The ceasefire with the United States expires at 01:00 CEST on Wednesday, while Trump claimed on Monday that it would not end until Thursday night CEST.
The American president’s rhetoric has changed in recent weeks – from sharp threats against Iran to efforts to end the fighting. Just two weeks ago, he warned of devastating attacks, but then backtracked on plans to bomb Iran’s infrastructure. At the same time, even a few hours before his announcement about the ceasefire on Tuesday, Trump claimed to the CNBC station that he “expects a bombardment”, while the United States, he says, is preparing to attack.
The war began on February 28 with US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. The conflict subsequently spread to the countries of the Persian Gulf and Lebanon after the involvement of the Hezbollah movement. The fighting claimed more than 5,000 civilian casualties and displaced hundreds of thousands, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. They also disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a rise in energy prices and great nervousness on world markets.
The future of the peace talks remains uncertain. Even before Trump’s announcement, an Iranian official said that Tehran is ready to continue negotiations if the US drops the blockade of the ports. However, both sides have repeatedly announced their readiness to resume strikes.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday night thanked Trump for agreeing to extend the ceasefire and said he believed in the earliest possible resumption of talks to end the war in the Middle East.
