"I have instructed the military to maintain the blockade and remain ready for action on all fronts. I will also extend the ceasefire until they submit a negotiation proposal and discussions conclude," US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on 21/4.
He stated this decision stems from a realistic assessment that the Iranian government is "severely divided." The US leader added that Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had requested a delay in attacks on Iran "until Iranian leaders and representatives can reach a unified proposal."
Mr. Trump's announcement indicates that this ceasefire extension will have no deadline and could last until Iran accepts a second round of negotiations and submits a new proposal. The initial ceasefire was set to expire today after two weeks of implementation.
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US President Donald Trump holds a press conference on the conflict with Iran at the White House on 6/4. Photo: AP |
This move marks a sudden shift in stance from the White House. Just hours earlier, Mr. Trump had declared he did not wish to prolong the ceasefire and warned that time for Iran was running out before the US launched large-scale attacks on its infrastructure.
Prime Minister Sharif thanked President Trump in a message on X, affirming Islamabad would continue to urge parties to seek an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East. "I sincerely hope both sides will continue to implement the ceasefire, achieve a comprehensive peace agreement in a second round of negotiations in Islamabad, and permanently end the conflict," the Pakistani leader stated.
Meanwhile, Mahdi Mohammadi, an aide to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, suspected President Trump's ceasefire extension announcement was "a ploy to buy time for a surprise attack" and argued that now is the time for Iran to take the initiative.
"The losing side cannot dictate negotiation terms. Iran needs to respond militarily to the opponent's continued blockade," he said.
By Thanh Danh (Al Jazeera, Guardian, Reuters)
