U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he is extending the ceasefire with Iran to give it more time for negotiations, but the U.S. military will continue the blockade of Iranian ports, LETA reported citing AFP.
Trump wrote on social media that he will "extend the ceasefire" until Iran presents a proposal to end the armed conflict, but he has "instructed our military to continue the blockade."
Trump extended the two-week ceasefire just hours before it was set to expire on Wednesday.
The White House announced on Tuesday that U.S. Vice President James David Vance will not travel to Pakistan, where a second round of negotiations with Iran was planned.
The U.S. President explained the suspension of negotiations by citing internal divisions in Iran, adding that the leaders of Pakistan asked him to extend the ceasefire.
"Given that the Iranian government is seriously divided, which is not surprising, and at the request of [the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan] General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, we were asked to suspend our offensive against the state of Iran until its leaders and representatives can present a unified proposal," Trump stated on his platform Truth Social.
He added that the blockade of Iranian ports on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz will continue and that the U.S. military "remains ready and capable in all other respects."
Trump noted that the ceasefire will be extended "until their proposal is presented and discussions are completed — one way or another."
