Trump extended the truce to make a deal with Iran. What the media is writing
US President Donald Trump has again puzzled the foreign press by saying that the two-week truce with Iran expires on Wednesday, April 22, effectively pushing the deadline by 24 hours. This is not the first contradictory statement by the American president, but Iran's reaction also turned out to be unexpected — after harsh statements the day before, officials announced Tehran's intention to participate in the negotiations. The meeting may take place on April 22 in Islamabad amid large-scale power outages in the city. What the foreign media write about this is in the Izvestia article.
Bloomberg: The Iranian delegation will take part in the talks, despite previous statements
In a telephone interview on April 20, US President Donald Trump said that the truce announced on April 7 expires on Wednesday evening, Washington time, which provides an additional opportunity for negotiations. Trump called the extension of the truce unlikely, but at the same time said that he was not preparing to conclude an "unfavorable deal" and there was still time for that.
Bloomberg
On Monday, the details of the next negotiation session, which is expected to take place in Pakistan, began to become clear. According to sources familiar with the plans and who wished to remain anonymous, Iran is also sending a delegation, although it is unclear who will lead it. Earlier, Tehran said it doubted participation in further peace talks with the United States.
US Vice President Jay Dee Vance will hold talks on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff will take part in the process. Trump was optimistic about the upcoming negotiations and said he would have been happy to participate, but did not consider it necessary. At the same time, both sides have secured leverage: Iran has stated on social media that it does not trust the actions of the United States and that "Iranians do not obey force," and the United States has promised that Iran will suffer if a deal is not reached.
Reuters: Tehran positively views the upcoming negotiations with the United States
The United States is confident that peace talks with Iran in Pakistan will take place, and an Iranian senior official has said that Tehran is considering joining. Donald Trump expects to conclude a deal that will prevent rising oil prices and panic in stock markets, but insists on Iran's refusal to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran intends to use control of the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip in order to achieve an end to the war, the lifting of sanctions and the preservation of its nuclear program.
Reuters
An Iranian official, in an interview with Reuters, said that Tehran "positively assesses" its participation in the negotiations [...], but stressed that no decision has yet been made. A source in Pakistan involved in the negotiations said there is reason to believe that negotiations will resume on Wednesday, and Trump will be able to attend in person or online if the agreement is signed.
Amid expectations of peace talks, oil prices in Asian markets fell on the morning of April 21, and stocks recovered. Earlier on Monday, after contradictory statements that cast doubt on the success of the negotiations, oil rose by 6%. At the same time, tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday, with Iran demanding the immediate release of the US vessel seized over the weekend, as well as its crew. Iranian state media blamed the United States for any further escalation of the situation.
The Washington Post: the administration has to refute Trump's statements
While U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed the participation of U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance in the Islamabad talks, U.S. President Donald Trump told TV channels the opposite — that Vance would not travel to Pakistan for security reasons. Trump's statements caused a commotion in the White House, as officials tried to refute the president's claims by talking to reporters privately. Contradictory statements have led to confusion about both the simplest information and broader issues.
The Washington Post
Trump has repeatedly given contradictory testimony about the course of negotiations with Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been refuted both by the Iranians and sometimes by himself. He contradicted himself, as well as his energy minister, about the prospects for lower gasoline prices. He also provided contradictory information on one of the key issues of the conflict, the fate of highly enriched uranium in Iran.
On the eve of the first meeting in Pakistan, Trump claimed that the United States and Iran would cooperate on decommissioning enriched uranium, and that many of the 15 points had already been agreed upon by the parties, but the parties left Islamabad without an agreement. The same thing happened with the timing of the truce announced between the United States and Iran. Trump blamed the Democrats and the media for the contradictory messages.
The Guardian: Iranians don't trust US statements
The second round of negotiations on ending the war between the United States and Israel with Iran may take place on Wednesday amid the threat of renewed hostilities. US President Donald Trump said that the two-week truce with Iran would end "on Wednesday evening," effectively extending the truce for 24 hours. U.S. negotiations with Iran collapsed in early April after Iran refused to stop enriching uranium.
The Guardian
The Iranians have stated a continuing lack of trust in the United States and demanded guarantees that if a final agreement is reached, attacks on them will stop. Although Iran was subjected to intense bombing during the five-week joint US-Israeli campaign, the leadership of Tehran does not consider itself defeated.
Pakistan has been preparing for possible negotiations since Sunday: the Islamabad energy company even promised to suspend shutdowns, which have become common for the country faced with the consequences of the double closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the United States and the shortage of oil and gas. Israel and Lebanon are also preparing to hold a second round of talks in the United States on Thursday.
Bloomberg: Pakistan is preparing negotiations in the face of energy shortages caused by the conflict
The chaos that unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend demonstrates the consequences of Trump's fantasies. Pakistan's involvement as an intermediary pleases some of its residents, but others are perplexed. Accepting peace talks is not an easy task, but it is even more difficult to do so with an energy shortage of 4,500 megawatts during peak hours. Trump expressed a desire to fly to Pakistan in person, but in this case he would find himself in a city plunged into darkness due to power outages.
Bloomberg
These power outages will persist even if trade routes reopen. "The strait, through which 20% of the world's oil and many other vital commodities pass, is not a tap that can be simply opened or closed," writes [Bloomberg Opinion columnist] John Auters. "The flow of tankers through this waterway almost came to naught a week after the conflict began and showed only the slightest signs of recovery."
Regardless of the situation in the strait, the crisis may spread further west in the coming weeks. Whatever happens in the Persian Gulf, tankers will continue to ship American oil [to foreign markets]. This business will lead to higher prices in North America.
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