US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan's request while awaiting a “unified proposal” from Tehran, even as the US military maintains its blockade of Iranian ports. The move comes as the White House put on hold Vice President JD Vance's planned trip to Pakistan for a second round of truce talks with Iran, which has balked at further discussions. But Trump warned that the US military will continue its blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump made the announcement as ceasefire talks looked increasingly uncertain with a two-week truce set to expire on Wednesday. Both countries had said they were prepared to resume fighting if no deal is reached.
Trump said he would "extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.” Iran has yet to decide whether to join the negotiations in Pakistan, a foreign ministry spokesman said earlier Tuesday, and will only take part if Tehran believes the discussions would yield results.
Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 US service members throughout the region have been killed.
Here is the latest: UN nuclear watchdog chief welcomes ceasefire extension between Iran and US Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters late Tuesday that the effort to end the war between Tehran and Washington is a “complex process” and that it's important to allow “continuity” for that process to play out.
“I think it's very important that an opportunity for peace is given,” he said.
Grossi, who is currently running to become the next U.N. secretary-general, also warned both sides that any peace deal must include the IAEA from the start to enforce oversight over Iran's nuclear program.
Otherwise, he added, “you will have an illusion of an agreement.”
US-Israeli bombardment eliminated Iran's supreme leader and much of the nation's top echelons, but the Islamic Republic's leadership didn't fall apart. Negotiations to end the war offer it a new test.
For decades, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei managed several powerful factions, bringing to heel those who challenged his authority.
It's now unclear who wields that kind of authority over the civilian figures and powerful generals from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who appear to be in charge.
They have found unity — for now — by taking a tough line. But disagreements over how much to concede in negotiations with the US could reveal fault lines as Pakistani mediators try to host a new round of talks.
After Israeli strikes killed Khamenei the first day of the war, his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him. But doubts persist over the younger Khamenei's role after reports he was wounded in the strikes. He has not appeared in public since.
At the center of power now is a politburo-like body known as the Supreme National Security Council, which includes Iran's top civilian and military officials.
The White House said in a statement that in light of the president's announcement that he was extending the ceasefire and awaiting a proposal from Iran, Vance and the US negotiating delegation would not be traveling to Pakistan on Tuesday.
The White House did not offer any additional updates on the possibility of in-person meetings.
Shehbaz Sharif thanked the US president for extending the ceasefire with Iran, saying it would allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to proceed.
In a post on X, Sharif said he was expressing gratitude “on my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir” for Trump's “gracious acceptance” of Pakistan's request to extend the ceasefire.
Sharif said he hoped both sides would continue observing the ceasefire and reach a comprehensive peace deal during a second round of talks scheduled in Islamabad.
Stocks slip and oil prices rise on uncertainty about US-Iran ceasefire talks The S&P 500 erased an early rise to fall 0.6per cent after the US vice president called off his trip to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 293 points, or 0.6per cent, after erasing an earlier gain of 400 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.6per cent. Less than 10 minutes after the US stock market finished trading for the day, Trump said he would extend the ceasefire to give Iran time to submit a proposal to end the war.
Oil prices also wavered before Trump announced the extension, and the price for a barrel of Brent crude went from less than USD95 to roughly USD100 during the day. It settled at USD98.48, up 3.1per cent.
The moves were mostly more modest than the vicious swings that rocked Wall Street earlier in the war.
The president, in his social media post, also alluded to reported divisions within the Islamic Republic, saying they have come “not unexpectedly.” Trump has repeatedly said over the course of the ceasefire that began on April 8 that his team is dealing with Iranian officials who want to make a deal, while acknowledging his decision to kill several top leaders has come with some complications.
“We've taken out their leaders, frankly, which does complicate things in one way, but these leaders are much more rational,” Trump said earlier Tuesday during an interview on CNBC.
The Iranian mission to the U.N. sent a letter Tuesday asking for the world body and the Security Council to issue a “firm and unequivocal” condemnation of the US decision Sunday to attack and seize an Iranian-flagged cargo ship.
“This constitutes a grave breach of international law, a clear violation of the ceasefire, and an act of aggression marked by the hallmarks of piracy,” the mission posted on X. “Such reckless conduct directly endangers international navigation and undermines maritime safety and security.” Washington had said the ship tried to evade the US naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz.
The president said he's extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan's request as he waits for a “unified proposal” from the Islamic Republic, but that the US military will continue its blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump added that “he's directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.” The president made the move even as the White House has put on hold Vice President JD Vance's expected trip to Islamabad for a second round of talks as Tehran, at least for time being, is balking at further talks.
Israel and the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah traded some fire on Tuesday, even as more talks are expected in Washington this week after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect last Friday.
Hezbollah said it had fired rockets and drones at Israeli forces maintaining a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, accusing Israel of breaching the truce with “attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages.” In response, Israel said it had struck the launcher, calling Hezbollah's strikes a blatant violation of the ceasefire.
Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel, particularly its northern border communities, shortly after the Iran war started. Israeli forces have engaged in fierce battles with the militants in southern Lebanon as they pushed to create what officials have called a “security zone.”
Gen. Majid Mousavi, the aerospace chief for the Revolutionary Guard, said in comments on Iranian media that it would be a mistake to carry out “aggression” against Iran. He also said the region's oil facilities would be harmed if neighboring countries allow the US to carry out attacks.
“If southern neighbors allow the enemy to use their facilities to attack Iran, they should say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East region,” he said.
The US has bases and troops in several countries across the region.
As news came that the US delegation was pausing its travel to Islamabad, Iran's top diplomat posted on X saying that American forces boarding an Iranian oil tanker earlier Tuesday was an act of war.
“Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post. “Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying.”
Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tuesday that as soon as Washington ends the blockade, “I think the next round of the negotiations will take place in Islamabad.” He called the US naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and reiterated that lifting it is a condition for new negotiations to take place. The United States has not publicly indicated that it will lift the blockade.
The US started the war against Iran, Iravani said, and if they want to return to the negotiating table “and find a political solution, they will find us ready.” “If they want to go to the war, in this case also Iran is ready for that,” he told a small group of reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.
State TV quoted the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency denying Trump's claims that the women are facing execution. It said some have already been released, while others face charges that — if upheld by the courts — would ultimately result in prison sentences rather than execution.
It didn't name which women were allegedly released.
Human rights centers have reported that at least two of the women were facing charges that carry a death sentence.
Two officials say Pakistani leaders were engaged in intensive mediation efforts late Tuesday to ensure the second round of ceasefire talks takes place.
The officials said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and the prime minister's national security adviser were involved in the push.
Despite a delay by Iran in sending its delegation to Islamabad, “overall optimism endures among decision makers in Pakistan,” the officials said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Bita Hemmati was sentenced to death in Tehran after taking part in the protests, according to the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran.
Mahboubeh Shabani was arrested in the city of Mashhad during the protests. She's charged with “enmity of God,” which carries the death sentence, according to human rights monitor Hengaw.
Diana Taher Abadi and Ghazal Ghalandari are both 16, and were arrested separately in Karaj, west of Tehran, and Yasuj in southwestern Iran during the protests, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Venus Hossein Nejad, from the Bahai faith, was arrested in January from her workplace in southeast Iran. She was forced to confess on state TV and was accused with others of organizing protests and being members of a “satanic network and under the influence of Israel,” the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights said.
Golnar Naraqi, a 37-year-old emergency physician, was arrested in Tehran during the protests, according to a state-affiliated newspaper.
Two women were identified by Iranian social media as Ensieh Nejati and Panah Movahhedi Salamat. There was no immediate confirmed reports about their whereabouts.
The president reposted a photo of six women and two teen girls on social media Tuesday morning that a conservative activist noted are facing prosecution by the Iranian government.
“I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm!” Trump posted. “Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!” Five of those in the photo flagged by Trump were arrested during widespread anti-government protests earlier this year, according to human rights groups.
One of the women, from Iran's minority Bahai faith, is accused of being part of a network described as “satanic and under the influence of Israel.” Iranian media sites identified two others in Trump's posting but did not offer details on why they were detained.
Esmail Baghaei told state TV late Tuesday that Iran was upset about what he called mixed messages from the Americans.
“It is not out of indecisiveness, it is because we are facing contradictory messages and behaviors, and unacceptable actions from the American counterpart,” he said.
As part of Trump's push to boost defense spending to USD1.5 trillion in the 2027 budget, the Pentagon wants to triple spending on drones and related technology to more than USD74 billion and invest over USD30 billion into more critical munitions.
That includes missile interceptors, whose stockpiles have become critically low during the Iran war.
Military officials said the spending blueprint was developed ahead of the conflict in the Middle East. They also did not discuss how much they will request in additional funds for the war.
Drones and other unmanned vehicles have emerged as a key weapon in the wars in Ukraine and Iran, and top Pentagon officials say the US must significantly increase its funding of both drones and counter-drone systems.
The Israeli military posted a photo on social media of the replacement crucifix, which appeared smaller but more ornate than the original statue that a soldier was photographed destroying in southern Lebanon. Israel says two soldiers involved in the episode will be held for a month in military detention.
Tuesday's post on X said troops worked with the community in the Lebanese village of Debel to coordinate the replacement, which includes a metallic-sheened Jesus figure and four paintings of saints, one on each arm of the cross.
Christians are estimated to make up around a third of Lebanon's population of roughly 5.5 million people. Thousands of Christians were displaced from their homes in the country's south during the war.
“Today we also reach the political agreement to widen our sanctions regime, to also target those responsible for breaches to freedom of navigation,” said the 27-nation European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, after a Tuesday gathering in Luxembourg.
“Freedom of navigation is non-negotiable. Daily U-turns where the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, are reckless. Transit through the strait must remain free of charge,” she said, referring to Iran's charging for safe passage on the Strait of Hormuz.
Kallas said the EU's maritime security mission would be “the quickest way” to ensure safe transit in the Persian Gulf after peace is settled.
Even if the US-Iran ceasefire holds and the current war ends, the leader of Yemen's Houthi rebel group said “there is no doubt that further rounds of fighting are coming, as it is merely a truce within a continuous conflict with the enemy.” In a televised speech Tuesday, Abdul Malik al-Houthi warned that escalation in the region is “possibly high” as the “fragile” ceasefire is nearing an end.
A Houthi missile attack on Israel last month raised concern that Iran's ally in Yemen may again try to block Red Sea shipping routes, as it did during the war in Gaza.
At least 10 seafarers have been killed and several more severely injured in a series of attacks on commercial vessels around the Persian Gulf since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, according to the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations agency responsible for regulating global shipping.
IMO spokesperson Natasha Brown said the agency has confirmed 25 attacks on commercial shipping since Feb. 28. Hundreds of ships have been stranded in the Persian Gulf since.
“Around 20,000 civilian seafarers remain aboard vessels in the Persian Gulf, facing dwindling supplies, fatigue and severe psychological stress,” Brown added.
Following an extraordinary council session in March, the IMO said it is working with “relevant states on the development of a safe passage framework” to evacuate stranded crews, while coordinating access to supplies.
The USD1.5 trillion budget proposal detailed Tuesday by defense officials would allocate nearly USD54 billion for military drones and related technology, as well as USD21 billion for weapons systems designed to take down enemy drones.
“Drone warfare is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield,” Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of defense, comptroller, told reporters during a budget briefing at the Pentagon.
One of the soldiers photographed the other using what appears to be a sledgehammer to hack down the crucifix during military operations in the Lebanese village. The two will be held in military detention for 30 days.
“The soldiers' conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” said a military statement, using the acronym for the Israeli military.
The disciplinary measures come after the photo of the incident attracted worldwide attention and condemnations from Christian religious leaders. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar have also denounced the incident.
The military said that six other soldiers who stood by without intervening would be summoned for conversations with higher-ups and that military protocol for dealing with religious buildings and artifacts were re-emphasized to troops in the area.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister met US Chargé d'Affaires Natalie Baker on Tuesday, urging that Washington and Iran extend the ceasefire and pursue diplomacy, the Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement, it said Ishaq Dar “underscored Pakistan's consistent emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable means to address challenges and achieve lasting regional peace and stability.” Baker, in response, conveyed Washington's appreciation for Pakistan's constructive role in supporting regional peace and facilitating dialogue, the statement said.
Published on April 22, 2026
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