Donald Trump has issued a major update as the original deadline for a US ceasefire with Iran approaches. The US President said he had agreed to delay any new military action following requests from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.
He wrote on Truth Social: “Based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fragmented, not unexpectedly and at the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, we have been asked to pause our attack on the country of Iran until their leaders and representatives come up with a unified resolution. I have therefore directed my forces to continue the blockade and to remain ready and capable in all other respects, and will therefore extend the ceasefire until then. As soon as their proposal is presented, the discussion ends one way or the other.
The two-week ceasefire was due to expire early Wednesday morning.
US President JD Vance was expected to travel to Islamabad to lead the US side in a second round of peace talks with Iranian officials.
However, reports on Tuesday evening revealed that the vice president was staying put in Washington amid uncertainty over whether Tehran would send a delegation.
According to The Times of Israel, a White House official said: “There are additional policy meetings taking place at the White House in which the vice president will participate.”
The apparent delay came as tensions continued to rise after the US seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, a move Tehran described as an “act of war”.
The Iranian foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said on Tuesday evening that the blockade of Iranian ports “is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire”.
He added, “Attacking a commercial ship and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation.”
The Pentagon had earlier confirmed that US forces boarded another sanctioned tanker overnight.
On Tuesday morning, the US President was optimistic about the prospects for a deal.
He said, “We are going to make a big deal,” but also claimed that Iran had “no choice” but to send a delegation to Pakistan.
Trump also warned that he was prepared to resume bombing if talks failed.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, an Iranian commander threatened to destroy the oil industry in the region if war with the US resumed.
General Majid Mousavi told an Iranian news site: “If the southern neighbors allow the enemy to use their facilities to attack Iran, they should say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East region.”
Before making the announcement on Truth Social, Trump reportedly spoke with Vice President J.D. Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner at the White House.
The meeting came amid growing uncertainty over whether new talks with Iran will proceed.
