US President Donald Trump has announced an extension of the ceasefire with Iran, saying the decision was made at the request of Pakistan while Washington awaits a “unified proposal” from Tehran.
The extension comes as the US military continues its blockade of Iranian ports, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilise the situation.
At the same time, the White House has put on hold Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Pakistan, where he was expected to lead a second round of truce talks with Iran.
Tehran has reportedly resisted further negotiations.
In a social media post, Trump suggested there were internal divisions within Iran, noting that such developments were “not unexpectedly.”
The US president has maintained that some Iranian officials are open to reaching an agreement, even as tensions persist.
“We’ve taken out their leaders, frankly, which does complicate things in one way, but these leaders are much more rational,” Trump said earlier Tuesday during an interview on CNBC.
Meanwhile, rhetoric from Iran has remained firm. Earlier on Tuesday, a senior Iranian commander warned neighbouring Arab countries against supporting any renewed US military action.
The commander said regional states should “say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East” if they allow the US to launch attacks on Iran from their territory.
The ceasefire, which began on April 8, continues to hold for now, but both sides have traded accusations and warnings, underscoring the fragile nature of the truce.
Since the war started, AP reports that fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon.
Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.
AP
