US President Donald Trump has unilaterally extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran, delaying a threatened military strike until Iranian leaders can present a unified peace proposal. The announcement came on Tuesday amid intense diplomatic efforts to bring the two sides together for a new round of talks in Pakistan.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he extended the ceasefire at the request of Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He directed the US military to maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports and remain ready to act. Hours earlier, Trump had told CNBC he did not want to extend the truce, claiming the US was in a strong position.
Iranian officials reacted sharply. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker and lead negotiator, accused Trump of seeking to turn negotiations into a 'table of surrender'. His adviser dismissed the extension as a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike, warning that the siege must be met with a military response. Senior figures in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were angered by Trump's earlier posts depicting Iran as surrendering on key issues, including its nuclear programme.
The US blockade of Iranian ports remains a major obstacle to resuming talks. Iran has demanded its end, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the blockade would continue, warning that Iran's oil storage on Kharg Island would soon fill, forcing wells to shut. The first round of talks in Islamabad 10 days ago ended without agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed early in the conflict, disrupting about a fifth of global oil and gas supplies.
Prime Minister Sharif thanked Trump and pledged to continue mediation efforts. However, Iranian state television confirmed that no delegation had yet travelled to Islamabad for further talks. Analysts say Iran's leadership is deeply divided over how to respond to US pressure and the threat of renewed bombing.
