President Trump had indicated on Monday that the ceasefire between Iran and the United States was theoretically set to end “Wednesday night, Washington time.” Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, April 21, the extension of the ceasefire with Iran to give more time for Tehran to negotiate, while maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports. Speaking on his Truth Social platform, the American president announced that he had decided to “extend the ceasefire until Iran presents a proposal and discussions are concluded, one way or another.” The Republican leader emphasized that he made this decision due to “serious divisions within the Iranian government” and at the request of Pakistan, the main mediator. However, he mentioned that he had “ordered our armed forces to maintain the naval blockade” in the Strait of Hormuz.
JD Vance will not leave for Pakistan on Tuesday The announcement from the American president comes as Washington and Tehran have displayed their disagreement on the expiration of the ceasefire, with the former mentioning Wednesday night, Washington time, while the latter mentioned this Tuesday, at midnight GMT. Furthermore, the White House confirmed at the end of the day that Vice President JD Vance, tasked with leading potential new discussions with Iran in Pakistan, would not be leaving Washington on Tuesday, as initially planned.
“In light of President Trump’s message on Truth Social, confirming that the United States is expecting a unified proposal from the Iranians, the trip to Pakistan will not take place today,” a senior official of the American executive stated in a declaration to the press. The White House had never confirmed the vice president’s trip, but had kept unclear whether he would leave the capital on Tuesday. Nearly two months after the start of hostilities triggered by Israel and the United States, Tehran threatened to resume strikes towards the Gulf countries, endangering the global oil supply.
