This Wednesday, Eastern Time marks the end of the two-week ceasefire agreed upon by the United States and Iran.
As that deadline approached, US President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed Washington’s intention to secure a formal agreement with Iran.
This comes after delegations from both sides left the initial peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan without any deal.
According to Trump, the United States has put forward what he described as a “very fair and reasonable” deal to Iran.
However, the proposal still includes Washington’s demand for Tehran to halt its nuclear program, the same condition that jeopardized the first round of talks.
In an effort to continue negotiations, the ceasefire deadline set for Wednesday has now been extended.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, saying the ceasefire will remain in place until Iranian officials present a unified proposal or until discussions between both sides are concluded.
It can be recalled that Iran previously submitted a 10-point proposal during the negotiations.
The Iran proposal includes lifting sanctions, maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz, halting attacks — including those involving its allies — and continuing its nuclear enrichment program.
However despite the extension, Trump also said the US will continue its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a separate post, he argued that ending the blockade would weaken leverage and could prevent a deal from being reached, warning that force remains an option if talks fail.
Meanwhile, mediator Pakistan welcomed the development.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to Trump for granting the extension, saying it allows more time for diplomacy.
He added that Pakistan will continue its efforts to bridge and urged all parties to follow the ceasefire.
As of now, Iran has yet to issue an official response to the extension.
However, some Iranian officials have earlier signaled unwillingness about entering another round of negotiations.