US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, hours before it was set to expire amid uncertainty over peace talks.
Trump, who earlier told CNBC that he would bomb Iran if a deal wasn’t reached before the truce deadline, announced that he would hold off attacks at the request of Pakistan — which is playing mediator — to give Tehran time to come up with a “unified proposal.”
Trump added that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would continue. The key waterway remains a major sticking point in future talks, amplifying worries among Gulf states that US-Iran diplomacy is now centered on managing Iran’s leverage over the strait, rather than achieving the broader de-escalation they desire, Reuters wrote.