US, Iran reject ceasefire extension as Pakistan steps up mediation efforts

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that an extension of the current US ceasefire with Iran is "not true at this moment."

Leavitt said at a White House press briefing that the Trump administration is optimistic the continued negotiations could yield a deal to end the weeks-long war. "We feel good about the prospects of a deal," she said.

Leavitt also did not confirm when talks with Iran would resume but said if there were talks, they would continue to be held in Pakistan following stalled talks in Islamabad over the weekend.

Iran, meanwhile, has taken a cautious position. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Wednesday that no agreement has been reached on extending the current ceasefire, rejecting media reports suggesting otherwise.

While expressing openness to discussing parameters of its nuclear program, Baghaei has reiterated its right to peaceful nuclear energy and called for sanctions relief as part of any broader settlement.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that fresh US-Iran talks "could be happening over next two days" in Pakistan. Also, he said earlier on Wednesday that the US-Israeli war with Iran is "very close to being over," without providing a clear timeline.

The two-week ceasefire, announced on April 8, is set to expire next week.

Diplomatic efforts

Diplomatic activity intensified on Wednesday around the US-Iran conflict, as Pakistan stepped up mediation efforts amid prospects for renewed negotiations.

A high-level Pakistani delegation led by the country's Army Chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran as part of Islamabad's continued efforts to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran. The delegation, comprising senior officials from security and diplomatic institutions, is carrying key messages linked to the next phase of engagement between the two sides.

The visit follows earlier face-to-face talks hosted in Islamabad that ended without agreement but kept diplomatic channels open. Iranian officials confirmed that exchanges with the United States are continuing through Pakistan.

The diplomatic push coincides with broader regional outreach by Pakistan's leadership. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on an official visit to Saudi Arabia. Later this week, he will also travel to Qatar and Türkiye, where discussions are expected to focus on bilateral ties as well as regional peace and security.

During a visit to the headquarters of Iran's Red Crescent Society in Tehran on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned US-Israel attacks on Iran's civilian places, such as schools and medical centers, stressing that targeting such places means that they fail to observe any humanitarian framework, "which is shameful, and should be witnessed by the world."

Attacking another country with no reason is against international law, said Pezeshkian, slamming some countries' silence in the face of the US and Israeli actions.

No power can force the Iranian nation to surrender, he said.

As diplomatic channels remain active but inconclusive, Pakistan's mediation efforts – alongside parallel regional and international initiatives – are likely to play a key role in shaping whether the current pause in fighting can evolve into a broader and lasting settlement.

Blockade of Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, tensions on the ground continue to pose risks to regional stability. The United States has imposed a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime trade, with US military officials claiming that economic activity linked to Iran by sea has been effectively halted within a short period. The move has heightened tensions in key strategic waterways.

In response, Iranian military officials warned of possible countermeasures. Ali Abdollahi, chief commander of Iran's main military command Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Iran could block trade flows across major maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea, if restrictions on its shipping persist.

If the United States "seeks to continue its illegal move of imposing the naval blockade in the region and cause insecurity for Iranian commercial ships and oil tankers, the action will be a prelude to violating the ceasefire, and Iran's powerful armed forces will not let any exports and imports continue in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea," Abdollahi said.

The US military claimed on Wednesday that no vessels have slipped past US forces to enter or exit Iranian ports in the first 48 hours of the US blockade.

"During the first 48 hours of the US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past US forces," US Central Command said in a post on social media platform X.

US naval vessels are on patrol in the Gulf of Oman as the blockade continues, according to the command.

Meanwhile, some vessels have breached the US blockade, according to a report by a London-headquartered maritime analytics firm.

According to Windward, an Iran-flagged landing craft departed Bandar Abbas on Tuesday, transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf of Oman, representing a clear example of a successful blockade breach.

The report also said that between Tuesday and Wednesday, an empty, falsely flagged and US-sanctioned large crude carrier was observed entering the strait inbound via Iranian territorial waters. The vessel likely used coastal routing to reduce exposure and was similarly assessed as a blockade-breaking movement.

Despite growing enforcement, the report said the US blockade has begun to shape vessel behavior in real time but has not yet halted movement through and around the strait.

Israel-Lebanon conflict

In Lebanon, Mahmoud Qomati, deputy head of Hezbollah's political council, said on Wednesday that the group has agreed to a ceasefire with Israel but remains cautious about its implementation.

Speaking to Al Jadeed TV, Qomati said Hezbollah would not accept a return to the 2024 arrangement, under which one side complied while Israel evaded its obligations.

He added that any effort toward reaching a ceasefire is appreciated while warning of potential Israeli breaches.

Qomati also advised residents to avoid traveling to southern Lebanon for the time being, citing ongoing security risks.

Israel has been discussing a possible ceasefire, with its Security Cabinet set to review the option, while parallel US-mediated talks involving Lebanon have made a ceasefire one of the key issues under negotiation.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israeli forces are "prepared for any scenario" should fighting with Iran resume.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said US allies are providing Israel "constant updates" on diplomatic contacts with Iran. He added that the goals of both countries remain identical, including the removal of enriched material, the elimination of Iran's enrichment capabilities and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

"In preparation for the possibility that the fighting will be resumed, we are prepared for any scenario," he said.

In Lebanon, Israeli forces continue to strike Hezbollah, Netanyahu said. "We are about to defeat Bint Jbeil," he added, referring to a town near the border where intensive Israeli strikes have occurred over the past several days.

A previous ceasefire in Lebanon, which had been in place since November 2024, was characterized by near-daily Israeli strikes in the country. The fragile truce collapsed on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in support of Iran, triggering intensified Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon.

The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said in a statement on Wednesday that the cumulative death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the country has risen to 2,167, with 7,061 others injured since March 2.