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In this handout photo provided by US Central Command, US forces patrol the Arabian Sea, April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the US accused of attempting to violate the US naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. /VCG
In this handout photo provided by US Central Command, US forces patrol the Arabian Sea, April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the US accused of attempting to violate the US naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. /VCG
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said there is "no time frame" for ending the war with Iran, while Iran's parliamentary speaker insisted that a full ceasefire depends on the lifting of maritime blockades.
Trump told Fox News there was "no time pressure" on the extended ceasefire or upcoming peace talks.
"People say I want to get it over because of the midterms, not true," Trump claimed. He initially said the war would last four to six weeks after it began on February 28.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a comprehensive ceasefire would only be meaningful if it is not accompanied by maritime blockades or what he described as "holding the global economy hostage," and if Israel halts its military actions on all fronts.
He added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be impossible if there were serious violations of a ceasefire.
No date agreed for talks
Meanwhile, Trump told the New York Post that it's "possible" fresh peace talks between the United States and Iran could take place as soon as Friday.
However, the Iranian side accused of Trump of lying again, insisting it has not decided to attend talks on Friday, according to China Media Group (CMG).
Tehran called Trump's talk of a second round of negotiations "contradictory remarks," and said it has not yet changed its plan to stay away from negotiations.
Delegations from Iran and the United States were expected to hold the second round of their peace talks in Pakistan this week. The two countries conducted their first round of talks on April 11-12 in Islamabad, but the negotiations failed to reach an agreement.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Wednesday that Iran has always supported resolving issues through dialogue and agreements and will keep doing so.
In a post on social media platform X, he said breaches of commitments, blockades, and threats constitute the main obstacles to genuine negotiations, adding that "world sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction between claims and actions," in reference to the United States.
Earlier in the day, Axios, citing US officials, reported that Trump is giving Tehran three to five days to unite behind a "coherent counter-offer," or the ceasefire extended on Tuesday will end.
"It is not going to be open-ended," the officials were quoted as saying.
The Iranian government has also not yet announced an official stance on extending the ceasefire, according to CMG.
In this handout photo provided by US Central Command, US forces patrol the Arabian Sea, April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the US accused of attempting to violate the US naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. /VCG
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said there is "no time frame" for ending the war with Iran, while Iran's parliamentary speaker insisted that a full ceasefire depends on the lifting of maritime blockades.
Trump told Fox News there was "no time pressure" on the extended ceasefire or upcoming peace talks.
"People say I want to get it over because of the midterms, not true," Trump claimed. He initially said the war would last four to six weeks after it began on February 28.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a comprehensive ceasefire would only be meaningful if it is not accompanied by maritime blockades or what he described as "holding the global economy hostage," and if Israel halts its military actions on all fronts.
He added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be impossible if there were serious violations of a ceasefire.
No date agreed for talks
Meanwhile, Trump told the New York Post that it's "possible" fresh peace talks between the United States and Iran could take place as soon as Friday.
However, the Iranian side accused of Trump of lying again, insisting it has not decided to attend talks on Friday, according to China Media Group (CMG).
Tehran called Trump's talk of a second round of negotiations "contradictory remarks," and said it has not yet changed its plan to stay away from negotiations.
Delegations from Iran and the United States were expected to hold the second round of their peace talks in Pakistan this week. The two countries conducted their first round of talks on April 11-12 in Islamabad, but the negotiations failed to reach an agreement.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Wednesday that Iran has always supported resolving issues through dialogue and agreements and will keep doing so.
In a post on social media platform X, he said breaches of commitments, blockades, and threats constitute the main obstacles to genuine negotiations, adding that "world sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction between claims and actions," in reference to the United States.
Earlier in the day, Axios, citing US officials, reported that Trump is giving Tehran three to five days to unite behind a "coherent counter-offer," or the ceasefire extended on Tuesday will end.
"It is not going to be open-ended," the officials were quoted as saying.
The Iranian government has also not yet announced an official stance on extending the ceasefire, according to CMG.
(With input from agencies)