On Tuesday evening, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the temporary ceasefire with Iran would be extended indefinitely, reversing his earlier stance from just hours before when he told CNBC he did not want to extend the pause in hostilities.
The reversal came after appeals from Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, who urged the U.S. To delay military action while Iranian leaders work toward a unified proposal for negotiations.
Trump stated that despite Iran’s deeply divided government — a condition he described as unsurprising — the U.S. Would maintain its naval blockade and remain militarily ready while awaiting a unified Iranian position.
The shift in tone followed a flurry of conflicting signals throughout the day, including Trump’s morning assertion that the U.S. Held a strong negotiating position and would secure what he called a “good deal,” and his later declaration that he would not extend the ceasefire and expected to resume bombing if no agreement was reached.
By 10:09 p.m. Swedish time, Trump reversed course again, citing the need to await a unified Iranian proposal and emphasizing that the ceasefire would continue until such a proposal was presented and discussions concluded, one way or another.
Pakistani officials welcomed the extension, with Sharif expressing hope that both sides would uphold the pause and reach a comprehensive peace agreement during a second round of talks planned in Islamabad.
In contrast, an advisor to Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dismissed the extension as meaningless, calling it a tactic to buy time for a surprise attack, and warned that continued U.S. Blockade of Iranian ports must be met with a military response.
Iran further complicated diplomatic prospects by announcing it would not send a delegation to Islamabad for scheduled talks, citing U.S. Refusal to scale back what Tehran described as excessive demands inconsistent with its sovereign rights.
Analysts remain skeptical of a breakthrough, with Middle East expert Shahin Eghraghi stating that the U.S. And Iran remain far apart, doubting Trump’s grasp of the situation and noting the administration’s dismissal of experienced Iran specialists from previous administrations.
Eghraghi also highlighted the difficulty of pressuring Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which derives its power from conflict rather than diplomacy, making compromise unlikely through threats alone.
The diplomatic uncertainty was compounded by logistical setbacks, including the postponement of Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Islamabad to discuss nuclear energy, which he instead spent in meetings with Trump and national security advisors at the White House.
Earlier estimates on the ceasefire’s expiration varied, with Pakistani officials stating it would end at 1:50 a.m. Swedish time on Wednesday, while Trump told Bloomberg it would last until Wednesday evening U.S. Time, or early Thursday in Sweden.
Why did Trump reverse his position on the ceasefire?
Trump cited requests from Pakistani leadership and the need to await a unified proposal from Iran’s divided government as the reasons for extending the ceasefire, according to his Truth Social post and reports from Aftonbladet.
How did Iranian officials respond to the ceasefire extension?
An advisor to Iran’s parliamentary speaker called the extension meaningless and a tactic to prepare for a surprise attack, arguing that the continued U.S. Blockade required a military response, as reported by Reuters in the Dagens Nyheter article.
What are the prospects for future negotiations?
Analysts like Shahin Eghraghi believe the U.S. And Iran remain far apart, doubting Trump’s understanding of the situation and noting the difficulty of pressuring Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, which gains power from conflict rather than diplomacy.