Trump's U-turn Iran ceasefire to run longer
Shortly before the end of the ceasefire, US President Donald Trump has given Iran more time for a negotiated solution and surprisingly extended the ceasefire.
21.04.2026, 23:54
22.04.2026, 08:58
SDA
The weapons are to remain silent until the Iranian leadership comes to the table with a united proposal, as Trump announced on his Truth Social platform. The US President did not set a new deadline. It remains unclear whether Iran and Israel will also feel bound by the ceasefire.
Unsurprisingly, the leadership in Iran is deeply divided, Trump wrote. He will therefore extend the ceasefire until there is a united proposal from Iran and the talks come to an end, "one way or another".
The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported shortly after Trump's announcement that an official Iranian position would be announced at a later date. The agency had learned from sources that Tehran had not requested an extension of the ceasefire. The mouthpiece of the powerful Revolutionary Guards also reported that Iran would not open the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for global trade, as long as the US naval blockade remains in place. If necessary, the blockade would be broken by force.
Trump previously described extension as unlikely
With the indefinite extension, Trump is taking a path that he had described as "very unlikely" just the day before. Instead, he insisted on an agreement to end the war permanently. Despite Pakistan's efforts, Washington and Tehran were unable to agree on a further round of negotiations in Islamabad until recently.
Just under a week and a half ago, a first round of negotiations between high-ranking delegations from Washington and Tehran had already taken place in Pakistan, led by Vance on the US side. However, the talks ended without result.
Trump struck a conspicuously harmless tone in his post: no new threats, no insults. In the morning, he had threatened that the military would be ready if no agreement was reached.
Report: Tehran not ready for another round of negotiations
Meanwhile, Trump wants to maintain one central obstacle to the talks from Iran's point of view. He has ordered the US military to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz for ships coming from or going to Iranian ports. Tehran had presented the blockade as a violation of the ceasefire and an obstacle to further negotiations.
Shortly beforehand, the Iranian news agency Tasnim had reported that Iranian representatives would not be traveling to Pakistan for negotiations. The USA had not backed down from its "exaggerated demands" in recent days and there had therefore been no significant progress, it continued. Under these circumstances, participation in the negotiations would be "a waste of time", the report said.
According to Trump, without an extension, the ceasefire would have expired on Wednesday (Washington local time), i.e. on Thursday night in Germany. In this case, Trump had threatened severe attacks on the energy sector and civilian infrastructure in Iran.
Tehran threatened the USA with "hell"
A few hours earlier, Trump had accused Tehran of repeatedly violating the ceasefire. The US President did not give any details.
Iran also made harsh comments to Washington: the military is ready for action and will not be taken by surprise, reported the Iranian news agency Tasnim. New targets for possible attacks had been identified for a return to war. From the first moment of the resumption of attacks, a "hell" would be created for the Americans and Israelis, it said.
