Ceasefire extended, Hormuz blockade intact: What is Trump waiting for on Iran?

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended a ceasefire with Iran without setting a new deadline, saying he would give Tehran more time to present a unified proposal to end the conflict.

In a statement released by the White House, Trump said he had directed the US military to maintain a blockade of Iran while holding off on further attacks.

“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured… we have been asked to hold our attack… until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump said.

He said the ceasefire would remain in place until discussions conclude.

The decision came as the initial ceasefire deadline was nearing expiration and followed internal deliberations at the White House over whether to resume military action.

According to CNN, Trump met Tuesday with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials as the administration grappled with silence from Tehran ahead of planned talks in Pakistan.

US officials had sent Iran a list of proposed deal points days earlier but had not received a reply, raising doubts about the prospects for imminent negotiations, CNN reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

US officials believe Tehran lacks consensus on core issues, including uranium enrichment and the size of its stockpile, CNN reported.

Questions also remain about whether Iran’s leadership is providing clear direction to negotiators.

The Trump administration still sees a possibility of talks resuming, though no timeline has been confirmed, the report said.

Vance’s potential trip to Islamabad hung in the balance as officials awaited signals from Iran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran was losing significant revenue due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and accused Tehran of posturing publicly while seeking relief privately.

“Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day (which is, therefore, what they are losing if it is closed!). They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to “save face”,” Trump wrote.

“People approached me four days ago, saying, “Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.” But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”

Iran has insisted that the blockade be lifted before it returns to talks.

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, said negotiations could resume in Islamabad once the US ends its naval restrictions, according to Iranian state media.

Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran’s parliamentary speaker and a member of its negotiating team, said the ceasefire extension “means nothing” and warned that continued pressure could prompt a military response.