US President Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire with Iran, saying that the US military will postpone the attack so that Tehran has more time to make a proposal to end the conflict.
The move on April 21 was made at the request of Pakistani mediators, according to Mr. Trump. The initial ceasefire was scheduled to expire on April 22.
There is no specific deadline for this ceasefire extension. Trump's statement shows that the ceasefire extension is indefinite, at least from the US side.
Iran has not immediately responded to Mr. Trump's statement. Semi-official Tasnim news agency said that Tehran's position will be "officially announced later".
Iran and the US agreed to an initial 2-week ceasefire agreement on April 8, but this agreement was affected by disagreements over bringing Lebanon into the ceasefire agreement and control of the Strait of Hormuz, leading to persistent tensions.
To end the conflict, the US demands the complete shutdown of Iran's nuclear program as well as limiting the production of missiles and its support for regional allies, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
Tehran remains determined on the right to enrich uranium within the framework of its civilian nuclear program. The country also excludes the use of military capabilities and regional alliances as concessions. Another disagreement is Iran's existing high-enriched uranium reserves.
Mr. Trump declared that Tehran has agreed to allow Washington to recover nuclear material from bombing sites. But Iran insists it will not allow uranium to leave the country.
