Trump extends US ceasefire with Iran

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will extend the ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for talks, as the current two-week truce is set to expire on Wednesday night.

"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 wrote on Truth Social.

He said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."

The US military will continue the blockade against Iran and "remain ready and able," Trump said.

US Vice President JD Vance, whose trip to Pakistan for talks with Iran has been put on hold, was at the White House for meetings on Tuesday, along with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, multiple media outlets reported.

There was no immediate comment from Iran's most senior leaders, but Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said Iran had not asked for a ceasefire ​extension and repeated threats to break the US blockade by force. An adviser to Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said Trump's announcement carried little weight.

"Trump's ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike," Mahdi Mohammadi, the parliament speaker's adviser, said in a statement on social media, describing the US ​blockade as ongoing military aggression. "The time for Iran to take the initiative has come."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday he hopes the United States and Iran will continue to observe the ceasefire and conclude a comprehensive peace deal for a permanent end to the conflict.

Qatar supports extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran until a solution is reached, a Qatari official said on Tuesday, warning that any closure of the Strait of Hormuz will escalate the current crisis from a regional issue to a global one.

(With input from agencies)