US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 22, posted a statement on Truth Social saying that due to deep divisions within Iran’s government, and at the request of Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Washington has agreed to hold off on a military strike against Iran while its leadership works toward a unified position.
Trump said he has directed the military to keep the blockade of Strait of Hormuz in place and remain fully prepared for action. The ceasefire will stay in effect until Iran submits a consolidated proposal and negotiations have run their course, he said.
JD Vance’s Islamabad trip put on hold
US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Islamabad for peace talks aimed at ending the seven-week war has been paused after Tehran failed to respond to American negotiating positions, local media reported on Tuesday, April 21.
Vance had been scheduled to depart Tuesday morning, April 21, for Islamabad, where talks were set to resume on Wednesday — the same day the fragile ceasefire was due to expire. Without an Iranian response, the diplomatic process is effectively stalled, though the trip has not been cancelled, a US official was quoted as saying in a New York Times report.
The visit could resume at short notice if Iran’s negotiators respond in a manner Trump deems acceptable. US officials are also seeking a clear signal that Iran’s negotiators have been fully empowered to reach a deal. The Washington Post, meanwhile, attributed the delay to additional policy meetings involving Vance at the White House.
As of midday Tuesday, Vance and White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were still in Washington, according to Axios. A government plane scheduled to fly Witkoff and Kushner from Miami to Islamabad via Europe never departed Tuesday morning, instead taking off around noon bound for Washington.
Trump accused Iran of repeatedly violating the ceasefire in a Truth Social post early Tuesday. In a separate CNBC interview, he said the US would end up with a strong deal from the negotiations. “I think they have no choice. We’ve taken out their navy, we’ve taken out their air force, we’ve taken out their leaders,” he said.
When asked whether the US would resume bombing if no deal was reached by Wednesday, Trump said he expects to be bombing, calling it “a better attitude to go in with,” and adding that the military is “raring to go.”
Asked whether he would extend the ceasefire to allow talks to continue, Trump said, “Well, I don’t want to do that. They have to negotiate.” He added that Iran still has an opportunity to rebuild: “If they make a deal, they can make themselves into a strong nation again, a wonderful nation again.”
The first round of US-Iran talks, held on April 11 and 12, failed to produce results, prompting a flurry of diplomatic activity by host Pakistan to ease tensions and set the stage for a second round of dialogue.
Iranian commander threatens to destroy regional oil industry if war resumes
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian commander on Tuesday threatened to destroy the region’s oil industry if war resumes with the US.
Gen Majid Mousavi, the aerospace chief for the Revolutionary Guard, said in comments on Iranian media that it would be a mistake to carry out “aggression” against Iran. He also said the region’s oil facilities would be harmed if neighbouring countries allowed the US to carry out attacks.
“If southern neighbours allow the enemy to use their facilities to attack Iran, they should say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East region,” he said.
The US has bases and troops in several countries across the region.
US blockade of ports violation of ceasefire: Iranian foreign minister
As news came that the US delegation was pausing its travel to Islamabad, Iran’s top diplomat posted on X saying that American forces boarding an Iranian oil tanker earlier Tuesday was an act of war.
“Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post. “Iran knows how to neutralise restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying.”
Iran’s UN envoy has received sign US is ready to stop blockade
Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tuesday that as soon as Washington ends the blockade, “I think the next round of the negotiations will take place in Islamabad.”
He called the US naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and reiterated that lifting it is a condition for new negotiations to take place. The United States has not publicly indicated that it will lift the blockade.
The US started the war against Iran, Iravani said, and if they want to return to the negotiating table and “find a political solution, they will find us ready.”
“If they want to go to the war, in this case also Iran is ready for that,” he told a small group of reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
When asked how hopeful he is about the possibility of new negotiations, the ambassador replied: “We should give the chance — we hope.”
(With inputs from Associated Press)
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