President Donald Trump said he is extending the U.S.-Iran ceasefire “until such time as” Tehran submits a “unified proposal” and talks are concluded “one way or the other,” hours before the two-week truce was set to expire and after Iran declined to participate in a new round of negotiations.
In a statement posted Tuesday afternoon on Truth Social, Trump said the decision followed a request from Pakistani officials and was based on the assessment that “the Government of Iran is seriously fractured,” adding that he had directed the U.S. military to maintain its naval blockade while remaining “ready and able” for further action.
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured … and upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump wrote. “I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade … and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
The extension came after Iran’s state-run Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported Tuesday that Tehran’s negotiating team had informed the United States through Pakistani mediators it would not attend planned talks in Islamabad and that there is “no prospect” of participating in the negotiations.
Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Pakistan — where he was slated to lead U.S. negotiators — was subsequently scrapped, with U.S. officials confirming the visit was called off after Iran refused to engage. Axios reported the trip was postponed indefinitely, while the Associated Press cited a U.S. official saying Vance would not travel.
Iranian officials publicly hardened their stance throughout the day, repeatedly rejecting negotiations under current conditions and warning of escalation. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports constitutes “an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire,” adding that Iran “knows how to… resist bullying.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader representative to the IRGC, Abdollah Haji Sadeghi, said there would be “no negotiations” unless Iran’s conditions are met and its “victory” is acknowledged, while Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad insisted Tehran would not submit to “blackmail and bullying.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has served as a lead negotiator, similarly warned that Tehran “does not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats” and is prepared to “reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
The rhetoric was accompanied by visible military signaling, with Iranian state-linked outlets showing ballistic missiles, including Qadr and Khorramshahr systems, displayed in rallies across the country just hours before the ceasefire’s expected expiration.
A senior Iranian commander also warned that if regional countries support U.S. military operations, they could face the destruction of their oil infrastructure, underscoring the broader stakes for the Middle East and global energy markets as tensions persist around the Strait of Hormuz.
The ceasefire extension marked a shift from Trump’s earlier stance. Speaking Tuesday morning on CNBC, the president said he was not inclined to prolong the truce and warned that if no deal were reached, “I expect to be bombing,” adding that U.S. forces were “raring to go.”
Despite extending the ceasefire, Trump made clear the U.S. pressure campaign would remain in place, emphasizing that the naval blockade — which he has described as a “tremendous success” — will continue until Iran presents a viable proposal.
With talks stalled, no Iranian delegation committed, and both sides maintaining hardline positions, the extension delays — but does not resolve — the prospect of renewed conflict as Washington awaits Tehran’s next move.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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