New York : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced an extension of the ceasefire with Iran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision followed a request from Pakistan to delay further military action and allow time for diplomacy. Elaborating in an official statement, Trump said the decision was made after a direct appeal from Pakistan’s leadership, including Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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 such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal, Trump said. I have therefore directed our Military to continue the blockade and, in all other respects, he added. The move signals a temporary easing of tensions while maintaining pressure on Iran through an ongoing blockade and military readiness.
Just hours before Trump’s announcement, Abbas Araghchi posted on X, calling the blockade of Iranian ports “an act of war” and a violation of the ceasefire. He further warned that targeting commercial vessels and detaining crews would escalate tensions, asserting that Iran knows how to defend its interests and resist pressure. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency reports that Iran has decided not to attend the upcoming talks in Pakistan.
Citing one of its correspondents, the agency said the decision followed the US refusal to step back from what it described as “excessive demands” in recent days. For this reason, Iran ultimately announced today that, given this situation, it considers participating in negotiations a waste of time, as the US is obstructing any suitable agreement. Therefore, Iran will not engage with the Americans,” Tasnim said in translated remarks.
An adviser to Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire is a “ploy to buy time” for a potential surprise strike. In a statement, the adviser warned that the continued US blockade of Iranian ports is “no different from bombardment” and should be met with a military response. Trump’s ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, thanked US President Donald Trump for extending the ceasefire, saying the decision would allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to continue.
“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,” he said. Sharif added that Pakistan would continue to push for a negotiated settlement and expressed hope that both sides would uphold the ceasefire and work toward a comprehensive “peace deal” in the next round of talks scheduled in Islamabad.
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