American President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a sine die extension of the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which he had previously set to expire on Wednesday evening, saying he wanted to give more time to diplomacy. A new round of discussions initially announced for the start of the week in Islamabad was also postponed.

Published on: 04/22/2026 - 02:33 Modified on: 04/22/2026 - 03:25

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New turnaround from Donald Trump. A few hours before the end of the countdown, the American president resolved, Tuesday April 21, to extend the truce observed with Iran until further notice in order to give Tehran more time to negotiate, while maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports.

Two weeks after the ceasefire came into force on April 8, Iran warned that the truce would expire at midnight GMT on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, while the American president spoke of Wednesday evening, Washington time.

To be continuedLive: Donald Trump extends ceasefire with Iran until further notice

But several minutes after midnight GMT, no major incidents had been reported in the area.

Citing divisions at the top of Iranian power, the Republican billionaire had previously announced on his Truth Social network that he was extending the cessation of fighting at the request of Pakistani mediators, until "Iran presents a proposal" aimed at ending the conflict.

As recently as Monday, he again deemed an extension of the ceasefire “highly improbable”. In the meantime, the blockade of Iranian ports will continue, he stressed on Tuesday.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country is acting as mediator, welcomed the extension of the ceasefire. "I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to respect the ceasefire and manage to conclude a 'peace agreement' during the second round of negotiations planned in Islamabad, in order to definitively end the conflict," he wrote on X.

Read alsoIran: Donald Trump is no longer short of a contradiction to save face

The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, welcomed the announcement and spoke of an “important step forward towards de-escalation”, according to a press release from his spokesperson.

But, for an advisor to the President of the Iranian Parliament and chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, this extension constitutes above all a “maneuver aimed at gaining time” in preparation for a surprise strike. In a message published on

No date for resumption of negotiations

However, a new round of discussions initially announced for the start of the week in Islamabad was also postponed indefinitely.

See alsoIran - United States, a dialogue of the deaf? Let’s talk about it with D. Schmid and F. Khoury-Helou

The White House confirmed late in the day that Vice President J.D. Vance, responsible for leading possible new discussions with Iran in Pakistan, would not leave Washington on Tuesday, as initially planned.

“In light of President Trump's message on Truth Social, confirming that the United States expects a unified proposal from the Iranians, the trip to Pakistan will not take place today,” said a senior American executive official in a statement sent to the press.

The White House had never confirmed the vice-president's trip, but maintained uncertainty over whether or not he was leaving the capital during the day on Tuesday.

Threats from the Revolutionary Guards

Before Donald Trump's announcement, Tehran had threatened to resume strikes against Gulf countries, endangering global oil supplies.

“Our southern neighbors must know that if their territory and facilities are put at the service of enemies to attack the Iranian nation, they can say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East,” the Revolutionary Guards warned.

Before these threats, oil prices, put under pressure by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global supplies usually pass, had already started to rise again, gaining around 3%.

Also read: Kerosene, CO2, fertilizer, food... The chain effects of blocking the Strait of Hormuz

Iran knows how to "resist intimidation", warned its Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, denouncing the American blockade of the country's ports, "an act of war and therefore a violation of the ceasefire".

Before announcing the extension of the truce, Donald Trump asked Tehran to “release” several women who would be threatened with execution. It would be a “very good start for the negotiations”, he said. The AFP was not able to confirm these threats of execution, nor the identity of the women whose photographs the American president reproduced in support of his request. Iran has denied any threat of execution against them.

In Tehran, where the main airports reopened on Monday after several weeks, life has returned to normal.

Mobina Rasoulian, a 19-year-old student, is enjoying the respite brought by the truce. “I went out without getting stressed (...) I went to cafes, restaurants, here and there,” says the young woman, met by AFP in a street in the capital.

But for Saghar, 39, interviewed from Paris, “there is no light at the end of the tunnel”. “The economic situation is horrible” and the authorities are arresting people “for nothing. Executions are increasing.”

With AFP

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