Donald Trump has unilaterally extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, pending a unified proposal from Tehran. The US president announced the decision on Truth Social, citing requests from Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to hold off on military action until Iranian leaders can agree on a negotiating stance.
The extension comes amid a volatile day in which Vice-President JD Vance's planned trip to Islamabad was postponed and Trump earlier told CNBC he did not want to extend the ceasefire. The US military, he said, was “raring to go” and had been directed to maintain the naval blockade of Iranian ports while remaining ready for potential strikes.
Iranian officials reacted dismissively. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliamentary speaker and lead negotiator, accused Trump of using the ceasefire as “a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike”. His adviser, Mahdi Mohammadi, called for a military response to the continued siege. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which holds sway in Iran's leadership, was angered by Trump's earlier posts depicting Iran as surrendering on its nuclear programme.
The first round of talks in Islamabad ten days ago failed to resolve the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries about a fifth of the world's oil and gas. Iran shut the strait early in the conflict and has demanded an end to the US blockade before negotiations resume. Washington has refused, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning that Iran's oil storage capacity will soon be exhausted.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump and pledged Pakistan would continue its mediation efforts. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency's Fatih Birol noted the combined impact of the conflict on global energy supplies, though no further talks have been scheduled.
