US President Donald Trump has announced an extension of the ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Iran, keeping the truce in place until peace talks with Tehran are concluded, even as direct negotiations remain stalled. The move breaks from Trump’s earlier public stance that he would not prolong the two‑week truce agreed earlier this month, underscoring the pressure on Washington to avoid an immediate return to open warfare while coercive diplomacy continues. Trump has linked the extension to the need for Iran’s leadership to present a “unified proposal,” casting the pause as a way to buy time for a deal rather than a softening of his maximalist demands.
Despite the ceasefire, the United States has maintained a tight blockade of Iranian ports, which Tehran’s foreign ministry has denounced as an “act of war” and a major escalation of economic and military pressure on the Islamic Republic. The blockade, enforced by dozens of US warships and tens of thousands of troops in the region, has sharply restricted Iran’s oil exports and inflamed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with regional allies and international organisations warning of wider disruption to global energy flows. US officials say the port‑closure strategy aims to force Iran into concessions on its nuclear programme, sanctions relief, and control over key maritime chokepoints, but so far no final agreement has emerged.
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