Trump has extended the truce with Iran indefinitely. What the media is writing
Despite threats to resume the war if Iran does not accept the terms of the peace agreement, US President Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire. According to Trump, the bombing was suspended at the request of Pakistan, but the foreign press believes that by doing so, the United States transferred the initiative and advantage in the conflict to Iran. What the world media write about this is in the Izvestia article.
Bloomberg: The Iranian delegation ignored the talks in Pakistan
After the breakdown of negotiations with Iran, US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely shortly before the end of the truce. At the same time, the US Navy maintains a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and Pakistan, acting as an intermediary between the countries, called on the United States to refrain from new strikes.
Bloomberg
Vice President Jay D. Vance planned to travel to Pakistan to resume negotiations with Iran, but representatives of Tehran refused to attend, citing, according to them, unreasonable demands from the United States. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that there is currently no prospect of Iran's participation in the talks.
After the truce was extended, oil prices continued to rise — Brent crude oil was trading at about $98 per barrel, having risen by almost 9% in the previous two sessions. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif thanked Trump for extending the ceasefire and creating conditions for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Iranian officials did not immediately comment on Trump's statement. Tasnim reported that Iran has not requested a truce and Iran will not open the strait as long as the United States blocks it.
Reuters: in conditions of continued blockade of ports, Iran does not believe in a truce with the United States
US President Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire with Iran to allow for peace talks, although on Wednesday, April 22, it was not clear whether Iran or Israel, a US ally in the two-month war, would agree to this. Trump said that the truce was extended at the request of the Pakistani mediators.
Reuters
But even after announcing what turned out to be a unilateral extension of the cease-fire, Trump also said he would continue the blockade of Iran's maritime trade by the US Navy, which Iran views as an act of war. On Wednesday morning, senior Iranian officials had no reaction to Trump's statement, although some initial reactions from Tehran indicated that Trump's comments were being treated with skepticism.
The Iranian Tasnim news agency reported that an adviser to Iran's chief negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Trump's words could be a ruse. Trump's rhetoric has fluctuated between threats against Iran and a desire to end the war and instability in the markets. Further peace talks remain in doubt.
The Washington Post: Extending the truce gives Iran leverage
US President Donald Trump announced the indefinite extension of the truce, as negotiations between the US and Iran were postponed due to uncertainty about the main points of the agreement. The decision to extend the ceasefire marked a significant shift in Trump's position, having earlier in the day threatened to bomb Iran if an agreement was not reached by Wednesday, April 22.
The Washington Post
His change of position effectively handed the initiative over to Tehran, which relished the opportunity to increase pressure on global energy markets by controlling the Strait of Hormuz. And this was another indication that Trump's desire to resume the conflict, apparently, is still small.
Trump promised to deter an attack directly on Iran, but instructed the US military to maintain a naval blockade of ports and be ready to act. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, said that negotiations would resume only after Washington ends the blockade. Analysts believe that Iran has benefited from the extension of the truce, as it takes into account the growing political pressure on Trump due to rising energy prices.
The Guardian: Trump's attempts to claim victory irritate the Iranian army
The abrupt change in Trump's position drew criticism from Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has recently been Iran's lead negotiator. Ghalibaf's personal adviser called the extension of the truce "a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike," and said it was "time for Iran to take the initiative."
The Guardian
Senior figures of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who occupy a dominant position in the Iranian leadership, were outraged by Trump's flurry of social media posts last Friday in which he effectively declared victory, portraying Iran as capitulating on key issues, including the nuclear program. Iran's anger led to the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz the day after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared it open.
Iran does not seem to intend to concede to Trump, although there is fierce debate among its leaders about how to respond to increased pressure from the United States and whether it is worth risking subjecting the country to new bombing. Ghalibaf accused Trump of trying to turn the negotiating table into a "table of surrender" and said Iran was preparing to open "new maps on the battlefield." Tehran demanded to lift the American blockade on Iranian ports in order to resume negotiations.
Tasnim: Iran expects to start negotiations after lifting the US blockade
Iran's special Representative to the United Nations, Saeed Iravani, said Tehran is ready to start a new round of talks with the United States, mediated by Pakistan, as soon as Washington lifts the naval blockade. The statement was made on April 21 in New York on Rudaw.: Iravani said that Tehran has received signals from the United States indicating its readiness to lift the naval blockade.
Tasnim
"We have received some signs that the United States is ready to break the [naval blockade], and as soon as that happens, I think the next round of talks will be held in Islamabad," Iravani said, noting that Tehran had put forward this as a precondition for the second round of talks.
When asked about the possibility of a new military escalation in relations with Washington, the Iranian envoy replied that it would depend on the United States. "They have started a war against us, and we are ready," he added, adding that if the United States shows a desire to sit down at the negotiating table and find a political solution to the situation, Iran will be ready for that.
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