Trump extends Iran ceasefire indefinitely, but blockade holds as Tehran calls it a 'surprise strike' ploy

US-Iran ceasefire: Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, but within hours, Tehran had dismissed it as a trap, declined to attend the next round of talks, and warned of a potential surprise strike. What looked like a diplomatic opening quickly revealed itself to be another day of escalation dressed as restraint.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced the ceasefire would remain in place indefinitely, until Iranian leaders present a unified proposal and ongoing discussions are concluded, hours before the two-week truce was set to expire. The decision, he said, followed a direct appeal from Pakistan's leadership.

"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump said.

He added: "I have therefore 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."

Trump's announcement appeared to be unilateral. It was not immediately clear whether Iran or US ally Israel would agree to the extension.

Vance stays home, Iran stays away

Vice President JD Vance, who had been expected to fly to Islamabad on Tuesday for a second round of truce talks, did not depart. The White House put his trip on hold, and later confirmed he would no longer make the journey.

Iran, for its part, announced it would not attend the scheduled talks in Pakistan. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said Iran had not asked for a ceasefire extension and repeated threats to break the US blockade by force. It cited the US refusal to step back from what it described as "excessive demands."

"For this reason, Iran ultimately announced today that, given this situation, it considers participating in negotiations a waste of time, as the US is obstructing any suitable agreement. Therefore, Iran will not engage with the Americans," Tasnim said in translated remarks. Iran formally communicated its position to Pakistan and informed mediators it would not be present.

Al Jazeera, however, reported that Pakistani sources believe Iran may yet reciprocate following what they described as an apparent softening of the US stance.

Tehran smells a conspiracy

Hours before Trump's announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had posted on X, calling the US naval blockade of Iranian ports "an act of war" and a violation of the ceasefire, warning that targeting commercial vessels and detaining crews would escalate tensions further.

After the extension was announced, Mahdi Mohammadi, adviser to Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, went further, describing Trump's move as deliberate deception. "Trump's ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike. Iran must take initiative," he said in a social media post, calling the US blockade an act of ongoing military aggression.

"The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response," Mohammadi added in translated remarks.

Pakistan claims the credit

In Islamabad, the tone was markedly different. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump publicly for accepting Pakistan's request, framing the extension as a victory for diplomacy.

"On my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course," Sharif posted on X.

He added that Pakistan would continue pushing for a negotiated settlement and expressed hope that both sides would uphold the ceasefire and work toward a comprehensive peace deal in the next round of Islamabad talks.

The blockade tightens

While the ceasefire holds on paper, the US naval blockade shows no sign of loosening. US Central Command stated on April 21 that American forces have directed 28 Iranian-linked vessels to turn around or return to port since the blockade began on April 13. Three vessels turned around near Chabahar Port in Sistan and Baluchistan Province in the past two days alone — including the Iranian-flagged and US-sanctioned Artman and Shamim, which turned back after approaching the US blockade line, and the Comoros-flagged Calista, which departed Chabahar for Karachi before reversing course.

In the most significant maritime action yet, US forces boarded an oil tanker in the Bay of Bengal, between India and Southeast Asia, that had previously been sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude. The vessel, named Tifani, was carrying Iranian oil, according to a US defence official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Pentagon confirmed the boarding as part of a broader effort to track down vessels tied to Tehran.

Oil prices edged higher despite the ceasefire extension announcement, reflecting continued market anxiety over disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.