President Donald Trump announced he was extending a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely a day before it was set to expire, even as plans for a fresh round of talks between the two countries fell apart.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Tuesday he would maintain a blockade over ships coming to and from Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. He added that Pakistan, which had mediated between the two sides, asked for the US to hold off on fresh strikes and he was extending the ceasefire until Iran submits a new proposal “and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

Vice President JD Vance had been set to travel to Pakistan to resume talks with Iran, but representatives from Tehran refused to attend, citing what they said were unreasonable American demands. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said there is currently no prospect of Iran participating in negotiations.

Oil held a two-day gain after the ceasefire was extended, with Brent trading at around $98 a barrel after adding almost 9% in the previous two sessions.

Top Iranian officials didn’t immediately comment on Trump’s pronouncement in overnight hours, Tehran time. Iran didn’t request an extension of the ceasefire, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing unnamed sources. It also said the country won’t reopen the strait as long as the American naval blockade continues.

The developments marked the latest turn in the fraught back and forth between Washington and Tehran since the two sides announced a two-week truce on April 7. Since then, they have publicly bickered over the terms of an agreement and alternatively opened and closed Hormuz, the waterway that carries a fifth of oil shipments.

A previous round of talks after the original ceasefire was announced ended in failure, with US officials saying Iran wasn’t willing to accept limits on its nuclear program and Iranian officials arguing that the US had made a series of demands it would not meet.

Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation during the first round of talks, had said Monday that his country would not “accept negotiations under the shadow of threats.”

Trump blamed the collapse of negotiations on what he called a “seriously fractured” leadership structure in Iran. (Source: Bloomberg)

Story Date: April 22, 2026