Trump said on Monday that he had no plans to lift the blockade until both sides reached an agreement. This is what has led to the current standoff – both Tehran and Washington, as of Tuesday, refusing to blink an eye.
The standoff comes as Trump’s self-imposed deadline approaches. Trump gave the Iranians until Wednesday to agree to a deal or face a renewed US bombing campaign. And with a nearly 16-hour journey to Pakistan, the window for diplomacy was closing fast.
trump Earlier on Tuesday it was said He was not ready to extend the ceasefire deadline once again.
Peace efforts remain shaky and it is unclear whether some of the recent demands from the Iranians or Americans are bluff or are actually red lines. Requirements and rejections can change at any time and Trump has been known to extend a deadline.
Vance was set to travel to Islamabad for a second round of talks when the plans were put on hold. The White House did not respond to inquiries about whether the vice president would be going, or whether he would make the trip.
Iran has been frustrated in recent days by Trump’s decision to maintain a US naval blockade of the waterway vital to Iranian ships, even though Tehran announced last Friday it would reopen the strait after declaring a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. According to the Iranians, the blockade violated the terms of the armistice.
Trump has said in several social media posts and interviews that he has the upper hand in the standoff with Iran, claiming the country’s leaders had little choice but to compromise to avoid another US bombing campaign.
