Trump extends ceasefire with Iran

Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday night after a chaotic day that brought peace talks to the brink of collapse.

Having threatened to resume bombing hours earlier, the US president backed off.

In a Truth Social post, he said Pakistan had urged him to pause the attacks and extend the ceasefire until Iran could submit a new proposal for peace.

Mr Trump said: “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.

“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.”

The US president’s statement on the 52nd day of hostilities was released minutes after Iran announced its “final” decision not to attend Wednesday’s talks.

Speaking to CNBC, Mr Trump said the military was “raring to go” if a peace deal was not reached before the temporary ceasefire expired.

Asked whether he would continue the military campaign, the president said: “Well, I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But, you know, we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.”

On Friday, Mr Trump had said a “deal” with Iran was near, prompting stock markets to rise and oil prices to fall.

Iran pulls out of peace talks

The war has long passed the original four- to six-week timeline the US president said it would take to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The two countries remain far apart on the respective undertakings considered necessary for a diplomatic breakthrough.

Oil prices breached $100 again on Tuesday, before falling back slightly. Stock markets closed down on the day, minutes before Mr Trump extended the ceasefire.

JD Vance, the US vice-president, had earlier suspended his planned trip to Pakistan after disagreements over the continued US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Vance was expected to take off on the 17-hour journey to Islamabad, but postponed the trip as Iran failed to confirm its participation in the talks. On Tuesday night he remained at the White House.

Tehran is believed to remain angry after US forces hit one of its cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

Iran’s state media announced on Tuesday evening that “there is no prospect of participating in the talks” in Islamabad.

The US has retained its substantial military presence in the region throughout the ceasefire, which was agreed in April.

Before the postponed talks, Mr Trump posted a photograph of eight Iranian women, some of whom were facing the death penalty, to his Truth Social platform and asked that they be released as a gesture of goodwill.

“To the Iranian leaders, who will soon be in negotiations with my representatives: I would greatly appreciate the release of these women,” he wrote.

The US president added: “I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations.”

The Telegraph has identified the women, all of whom were arrested during or for their alleged involvement in the protests in Iran earlier this year.

Bita Hemati and her husband were sentenced to death by Tehran’s revolutionary court for alleged ties to the US government. Gazal Ghalandari, 16, was seized in a home raid and remains in custody without a death sentence.

Golnaz Naraghi, 37, an emergency doctor, was detained in Tehran with her family.

Baha’i citizen Venus Hosseinnejad, 28, was arrested at her workplace, while Ensieh Nejati was taken during a wave of protest-related arrests.

Mahboubeh Shabani, 33, faces a capital charge of “waging war against God” for allegedly transporting injured protesters by motorbike.

Diana Taherabadi, a 16-year-old student, was transferred to a juvenile correction centre with no disclosed charges.

Panah Movahedi has been missing since Jan 9 after attending protests, her final social media post expressing devotion to “a free homeland”.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said none of the women was facing confirmed death sentences, with some probably facing prison terms only, and dismissed at least one disappearance report as anti-government misinformation.

Meanwhile, at least 26 Iran-linked ships carrying oil and gas appear to have bypassed the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which publishes shipping industry analysis, said more than two dozen ships with cargo had sailed in and out of Iranian ports since the US blockade came into effect on April 13.

These vessels are part of Iran’s shadow fleet, a network of oil tankers and shell companies that help Iran export oil, launder the proceeds, and procure materials for its weapons programme.

The network has been crucial for keeping the Iranian economy afloat despite international sanctions.

US Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, said it had directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port.

The vessels probably include the US-sanctioned Raine and the Iranian-flagged Artman container ship, according to shipping data and war monitors.

Analysts, however, said some vessels appeared to have evaded the blockade.

The US could still interdict these vessels in international waters before they reach their final destination, but this would require greater resources from the US outside the Middle East at a time when the military has already concentrated its presence in the region.

Lloyd’s said 11 tankers with Iranian cargo had left the Gulf of Oman or the Persian Gulf since the blockade took effect.

Analysts also highlighted that a Greek-owned bulker left an Iranian port on April 15 and passed the blockade line on April 19.

The vessels include the Liberian-flagged Basel and the Marshall Islands-flagged CECI, which departed from Iranian ports on April 15 and sailed along the coastline of Oman toward reported destinations in Brazil, as shown on MarineTraffic, a maritime data platform.

Both those ships left two days after the US said it would not allow vessels to enter or exit Iranian ports.

The UK later clarified that ships carrying humanitarian aid would be allowed to transit, but it is unclear what cargo Basel and the CECI were carrying out of Iran.

On Sunday, the US seized one sanctioned Iranian ship, the Touska, which was part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), itself a sanctioned entity.

The Touska was detected in China in March, according to MarineTraffic, including at the Gaolan port in the city of Zhuhai, home to some of the largest liquid chemical storage terminals in China.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]