Trump indefinitely extends ceasefire with Iran on Pakistan’s request
In his statement on social media, Trump said that he accepted the request of Pakistan, which is mediating the peace talks, to “continue our attack on the country of Iran until its leaders and representatives put forward a common proposal.”
It was the latest example of Trump backing away from his repeated threats to bomb power plants and other civilian infrastructure in Iran, which experts warned could constitute a war crime.
Trump, who along with Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, said he decided to extend the ceasefire because “the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly,” a reference to US-Israeli assassinations of some of the country’s leaders, including the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was succeeded by his son.
Thousands of people have been killed in countries in the Middle East since the start of the war, and the global economy has been shaken by the virtual closure of the “Strait of Hormuz” vital for oil and gas.
Trump said the US Navy would continue to blockade Iran’s ports and coasts; Iranian leaders called it an act of war and it has become a sticking point as the two countries hesitate over whether to send negotiators to a second round of peace talks in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad this week.
There appeared to be no comment on Trump’s announcement from Iran, Israel or Pakistan on Tuesday afternoon Washington time.
