President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, citing a "seriously fractured" Iranian government and stating the pause in hostilities will last "until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said the decision was made at the request of Pakistani mediators, specifically Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who urged the U.S. to hold off on attacks while Iran’s leadership unifies around a peace proposal.
The ceasefire extension came hours before the original deadline, averting an expected resumption of hostilities.
Iranian officials dismissed the ceasefire extension as a tactical delay, with Mahdi Mohammadi, adviser to parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, calling it "a ploy to buy time in order to deliver a surprise strike." He argued that the continuation of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports constitutes an ongoing act of war, stating, "The continuation of the blockade is no different from bombing and must be responded to militarily." Iran's armed forces also warned they are "100% ready" to retaliate against any U.S. aggression.
Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Islamabad was postponed following Trump's meeting with top national security officials, and after Iran refused to attend talks unless the blockade was lifted.
Internal divisions in Iran’s leadership are reportedly deepening, with civilian officials favoring negotiations while Revolutionary Guard commanders oppose talks under current conditions.
The U.S. maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz, and oil prices fluctuated sharply ahead of and after Trump’s announcement.
"Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day (which is, therefore, what they are losing if it is closed!)" the presidet claimed on Truth Social. "They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to 'save face.' People approached me four days ago, saying, 'Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.' But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!"
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent writes on X: "As @POTUS has made clear, the United States Navy will continue the blockade of Iranian ports. In a matter of days, Kharg Island storage will be full and the fragile Iranian oil wells will be shut in. Constraining Iran’s maritime trade directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines.
"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 U.S. sanctions. We continue to freeze the funds stolen by the corrupt leadership on behalf of the people of Iran."
