Politics News
Trump extends the Iran ceasefire with no end date but keeps the naval blockade in place
President Donald Trump on Tuesday, April 21, extended the US ceasefire with Iran hours before the two-week truce was due to expire, without setting a new end date. Prothom Alo of Bangladesh, carrying AFP, reported that he had “directed our Military to continue the Blockade” of Iranian ports and would extend the ceasefire “until such time as their (Iran's) proposal is submitted.” He cited Iran's “fractured” leadership as the reason it needed more time.
Trump said he acted at the request of Pakistan, which hosts the talks, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked him. A White House official said Vice President JD Vance would not travel to Pakistan for talks on Tuesday, pending an Iranian proposal.
“Any further updates on in-person meetings will be announced by the White House.” — White House official, via Prothom Alo
Polskie Radio's English service said the pause would last until Iran's leaders and representatives present a joint plan, citing a Washington Post report that talks would go on until they are “concluded, one way or the other.” Qatar's The Peninsula quoted Trump's statement that the ceasefire “will be extended until the leadership in Iran can present its proposal to end the war.”
How each outlet framed it
- Prothom Alo — the blockade as a sticking point for Tehran, and a Revolutionary Guards commander's warning that Gulf neighbours “should bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East” if their territory is used against Iran.
- Polskie Radio — the open-ended nature of the pause and Pakistan's mediation.
- The Peninsula — a brief report on the extension after the two sides “could not find a breakthrough”.
What we don't know yet: Iran made no immediate public comment, Prothom Alo said, and none of the reports gave a date for new talks.