Summary of this article
Trump extended the Iran ceasefire indefinitely at Pakistan’s request, delaying US-led peace talks.
The US will maintain its blockade and warned action depends on Iran presenting a unified proposal.
Fresh sanctions and Hormuz tensions persist, keeping oil prices high amid ongoing conflict.
US President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran at the request of mediator Pakistan, saying the move was aimed at giving Tehran’s fractured leadership time to come up with a unified proposal to end the seven-week war.
The unexpected statement effectively postponed the scheduled visit of a US mission headed by Vice President J. D. Vance to Islamabad for peace negotiations with Iranian interlocutors. It was made just hours before the two-week ceasefire established on April 8 was about to expire.
Trump clarified, however, that the United States will not launch a strike on Iran until its leadership offers a unified plan for talks. He declared that the economic embargo on Iran's ports would not be lifted.
Vance and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been scheduled to travel to Islamabad on Tuesday, but the White House said the delegation’s “trip to Pakistan will not be happening today (Tuesday).” “Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so 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 their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday.
The US President said he had “therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other”.
The declaration marked the end of days of strenuous diplomatic efforts by officials in Tehran, Islamabad, and Washington to create a draft proposal that would be acceptable to all parties.
On Tuesday morning, Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to depart Miami for Islamabad, but they were invited to attend "additional meetings" in the White House instead. Vance participated in the discussions in Washington and was also set to visit Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for extending the ceasefire with Iran and expressed hope that both sides would be able to “conclude a comprehensive peace deal” to end the conflict.
Following Trump’s announcement, Sharif in a post on X, said, “On my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.” Sharif said that with the “trust and confidence reposed in (it), Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for a negotiated settlement of the conflict.” “I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” he added.
In the meantime, 14 people, organisations, and aircraft with bases in Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates were subject to sanctions by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent due to their purported involvement in the acquisition or transportation of weapons or weapons components on behalf of the Iranian government.
“The Iranian regime must be held accountable for its extortion of global energy markets and indiscriminate targeting of civilians with missiles and drones,” Bessent said.
He warned that Iran’s Kharg Island storage facilities could reach capacity within days, potentially forcing fragile oil wells to shut down.
“Constraining Iran’s maritime trade directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines,” he said.
“The @USTreasury will continue to apply maximum pressure through Economic Fury to systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate, move and repatriate funds. Any person or vessel facilitating these flows—through covert trade and finance—risks exposure to US sanctions,” Bessent added.
About 20% of the world's natural gas and crude oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz during peacetime, and the US instituted the blockade to put pressure on Tehran to relinquish its control over this vital shipping route.
Oil prices have skyrocketed due to Iran's control over the Strait. The worldwide standard, Brent crude, was trading near USD 95 per barrel on Tuesday, up more than 30% since the conflict began on February 28 when Israel and the US attacked Iran.
The US also reported on Tuesday that its troops had boarded an oil tanker that had previously been banned from transporting Iranian crude into Asia. US Marines boarded the M/T Tifani without any problems, according to a social media post from the Pentagon.
Although ship-tracking data indicated the vessel was in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia on Tuesday, the US military did not reveal the location of the boarding. The Pentagon further stated that sanctioned warships are not allowed to use international seas as a haven.
