Trump rejects truce extension and prefers Iran ‘deal’ to end conflict
US President Donald Trump stated he is not contemplating an extension of the current two-week ceasefire with Iran, while suggesting that a negotiated settlement continues to be his favored approach to resolve the conflict in West Asia. In an interview Trump conveyed his belief that an extension might not be necessary. “President Trump told me today he isn’t thinking about extending the ceasefire. He doesn’t think it will be necessary,” Karl wrote in a post on X. “I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,” Trump said. “I truly do.” A different regime is indeed in place now “It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild.”
Regardless of the circumstances, we eliminated the radicals. “They’re gone, no longer with us,” Trump said. He asserted a bold statement regarding his leadership, declaring, “If I weren’t president, the world would be torn to pieces.” Trump’s comments come after his previous claim that the conflict with Iran is “very close” to concluding, while he cautioned that US operations continue to be in effect. “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished,” he stated. “We’ll see what happens.” He added “I think they want to make a deal very badly,” as reported.
The remarks arise as Washington and Tehran work to organize a second round of peace talks in the near future. A report indicates that both parties are seeking to engage in additional discussions prior to the ceasefire deadline of April 7. One proposal under consideration is to return to Islamabad, where the initial round of negotiations took place last weekend; however, alternative venues are also being explored. Even as diplomatic efforts persist, tensions continue to escalate in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has ordered a blockade of all Iranian ports, marking a fresh escalation after the US agreed to halt bombing operations last week. The blockade is being enforced continuously by a fleet of over 12 vessels.
Direct negotiations between the US and Iran concluded without a breakthrough following over 21 hours of discussions in Islamabad on Sunday. The discussions, facilitated by Pakistan, did not yield a definitive result. The focal issue in Iran’s nuclear programme has been uranium enrichment. The negotiations, spearheaded by US Vice President JD Vance, fell apart when Iran declined to relinquish its nuclear programme, with Tehran characterizing the US stance as “excessive.”
