The American president had indicated on Monday that the ceasefire between Iran and the United States was supposed to end in theory “Wednesday evening, Washington time.”
Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, April 21, the extension of the ceasefire with Iran to give more time for Tehran to negotiate, while maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports.
Speaking on his Truth Social platform, the American president announced that he had decided to “extend the ceasefire until Iran presents a proposal and discussions are concluded, one way or another.”
The Republican leader emphasized that he made this decision in response to “serious divisions within the Iranian government” and at the request of Pakistan, the main mediator.
He did, however, indicate that he had “ordered our armed forces to maintain the naval blockade” in the Strait of Hormuz.
JD Vance will not leave for Pakistan on Tuesday
The announcement by the American president comes as Washington and Tehran have displayed their disagreement about the expiration of the ceasefire, with the former mentioning Wednesday evening, Washington time, while the latter referred to this Tuesday at midnight GMT.
Furthermore, the White House confirmed late in the day that Vice President JD Vance, tasked with leading potential new discussions with Iran in Pakistan, would not leave Washington on Tuesday, as initially planned.
“In light of President Trump’s message on Truth Social, confirming that the United States is awaiting a unified proposal from the Iranians, the trip to Pakistan will not take place today,” a senior official of the American executive said in a statement to the press.
The White House had never confirmed the vice president’s trip, but had kept the ambiguity regarding whether he was leaving the capital on Tuesday.
Two months after the start of hostilities triggered by Israel and the United States, Tehran threatened to resume strikes towards Gulf countries, jeopardizing global oil supply.
