Donald Trump has wavered on his threat to bomb Iran by extending the US ceasefire, claiming the regime’s leadership is ‘seriously fractured.’
The President previously threatened to resume the war if Iran failed to reach a deal by Wednesday’s deadline at 8pm ET (1am on Thursday morning, UK time)
Trump wrote that ‘based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured’, the US military would hold off striking ‘until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.’
‘I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,’ Trump added.
The decision is Trump’s fourth delay since the initial truce was announced on March 23. The President did not provide an exact deadline for the latest extension.
And Iran has not yet responded to Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire extension. Both Tehran and Washington have warned they were prepared to resume fighting if a deal isn’t reached, with Iranian forces firing at a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz early this morning.
Prior to Trump’s announcement, JD Vance had cancelled his trip to Pakistan for a peace summit with Iran, according to Associated Press.
The Vice President was expected to lead US negotiations with Iran in Islamabad before the two-week ceasefire’s expiration.
Tehran said it has no plans to continue another round of talks with the US due to Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has waivered on his threat to bomb Iran by extending the US ceasefire, claiming the regime’s leadership was ‘seriously fractured’
The President previously threatened to resume the war if Iran failed to reach a deal by Wednesday’s deadline at 8pm ET
Tehran said it has no plans to continue another round of talks with the US due to Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
Trump said Vance was expected to depart Washington for Pakistan on Tuesday morning but those plans are completely scrapped, according to the Associated Press.
Instead, he took to Truth Social to goad the Iranians in a series of posts made after his initial announcement of the ceasefire’s extension.
The US president wrote: ‘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!).
‘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!’
He then wrote on his social media platform: ‘Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!’
The President previously claimed he was poised to resume bombing if Tehran refuses to come to the table, he told CNBC Tuesday morning.
The threat appeared to do little to force Tehran into backing down, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) firing on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of this morning, damaging the ship and further raising the stakes as planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to materialise.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said the attack happened around 7.55am local time in the strait and targeted a container ship.
The UKMTO said a Guard gunboat did not hail the ship before firing.
It said no one was hurt and there was no environmental impact from the attack.
Iran’s semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies, believed to be close to the Guard, both reported on the attack, citing the UKMTO.
Fars went further to describe Iran as ‘lawfully enforcing’ its control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world’s crude oil and natural gas traded once passed.
However, the strait had been considered an international waterway for the world’s shippers despite being in the territorial waters of both Iran and Oman.
The latest ceasefire extension came at the request of Pakistani intermediaries, according to Trump.
Peace talks have reached a standstill over Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for a fifth of global oil trade.
The President imposed the blockade after Tehran refused to suspend its nuclear program.
In recent days, US forces have begun boarding and seizing tankers destined for Iranian ports.
Should the US maintain pressure on Iran or risk empowering hardliners by continuing the ceasefire?
Peace talks have reached a standstill over Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for a fifth of global oil trade
The President imposed the blockade after Tehran refused to suspend its nuclear program
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammed-Bagher Ghalibaf said Monday the regime is ‘prepared’ to renew fighting against US-Israel forces in the Middle East.
‘We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield,’ he wrote on X.
Trump reportedly aimed to use the Hormuz blockade to pressure Tehran back into talks after the initial Vance-led negotiations collapsed.
However, it appears the President’s move has empowered hardliners within Iranian leadership who are against further diplomatic talks with the US.
