Trump extends Iran ceasefire but Hormuz blockade continues; Tehran rejects US terms, threatens force

US President Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire with Iran and ordered the continuation of the naval blockade stating that Tehran must first present a ldquounified proposalrdquo before any further talks can proceedSTATEMENT BY PRESIDENT DONALD J TRUMP pictwittercomATdRyY1qqKmdash The White House WhiteHouse April 21 2026In a statement posted on Truth Social on Tuesday local time Trump said the decision followed a request from Pakistanrsquos leadership and due to internal divisions within Iranrsquos governmentldquoBased on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fracturedhellip we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposalrdquo the US President statedldquoI have therefore directed our military to continue the blockadehellip and will therefore extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted and discussions are concluded one way or the otherrdquo he addedThe announcement came just hours before the twoweek ceasefire was set to expire leaving the next round of peace talks in uncertaintyFollowing the extension US VicePresident JD Vance cancelled his planned visit to Islamabad for the second round of negotiations with Iran A White House official confirmed that the trip would not proceed as Washington awaits clarity from TehranIran rejects US terms accuses Washington of ceasefire violationIran has not confirmed its participation in the talks and has demanded that the US lift the blockade as a precondition for returning to negotiations according to reportsIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Washington of breaching the truce saying ldquoBlockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefirerdquo and added that ldquostriking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violationrdquoPakistan which has been mediating the talks welcomed the extension Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for ldquograciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their courserdquoOn his personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Sharif said ldquoWith the trust and confidence reposed in Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of conflict I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive lsquoPeace Dealrsquo during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflictrdquoOn my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course With the trust and confidence reposed in Pakistanhellipmdash Shehbaz Sharif CMShehbaz April 21 2026Despite the extension tensions remain high Earlier in the day Trump warned that military action remains an option if negotiations failldquoWell I expect to be bombinghellip the military is raring to gordquo he said in an interviewUS blockade tightens grip as 28 vessels turned awayThe US has maintained pressure through a sweeping maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports and oil shipments Officials say at least 28 vessels have been ordered to turn around or return to port since the blockade began on April 13Iran has responded with threats to escalate Reports citing Iranian media said Tehran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the blockade remains and could ldquobreak the blockade by force if necessaryrdquoIranian state media IRIB reported that Iran has rejected the US conditions for negotiations and described Trumprsquos extension of the ceasefire as unilateral IRIB quoted Trump as saying the decision came at the request of Pakistanrsquos Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz SharifMeanwhile Iranrsquos ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani said Tehran has received signs indicating that the United States may be ready to end the naval blockade However he formally urged the UN to press the US to immediately and unconditionally release the Iranian commercial vessel Touska along with its crew and their familiesIn a letter to UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres and the president of the Security Council Iravani raised ldquourgent concernrdquo over what he described as ongoing violations of international law by the United States including the deliberate targeting of Iranian commercial shipsHe detailed the capture of the Touska in the Sea of Oman near Iranrsquos coast a day earlier calling it a ldquohostile and unlawful actrdquo involving ldquocoercion intimidation and reckless endangerment of the lives of the shiprsquos crew and their familiesrdquo Iravani described the seizure as ldquomaritime piracyrdquo and a dangerous escalationThe diplomatic standoff has left both sides in a holding pattern with the ceasefire extended but no clear path to negotiationsThe conflict which began on February 28 has disrupted global energy markets particularly due to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz mdash a critical route for oil shipments that carries a significant share of global crude supplyWith inputs from IANS and ANI