Iran Ceasefire Talks Linked to Nuclear and Missile Demands Amid US Blockade

United States President Donald Trump said the Iran ceasefire will continue for now. The move delayed a planned US military strike. Trump said US forces will stay on alert. The attack is paused while Tehran prepares a formal proposal. Trump did not give a fresh end date. The pause looked open-ended from Washington’s side.

Trump also tied the Iran ceasefire extension to messages from Pakistan’s leaders. Trump said mediators in Islamabad asked Washington to wait. The truce had been set to expire on Wednesday. Trump’s post indicated the pause will last until Iran submits terms. Talks will then finish, either with a deal or not.

Trump wrote on social media: "I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other." The US naval blockade of Iranian ports therefore remains in place throughout the talks.

Trump added: "Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, 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 proposal." Trump suggested divisions in Tehran are slowing the process.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the Iran ceasefire extension after Trump’s message. Sharif said Pakistan would keep backing a negotiated path. "I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive 'Peace Deal' during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict," Sharif wrote on X.

Iran has not issued an official reply to Trump’s Iran ceasefire statement. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said Iran’s position will be "officially announced later". Earlier Iranian commentary criticised the continuing naval blockade. It warned the siege could disrupt planned Wednesday talks in Islamabad. The blockade remained a central dispute as discussions were being prepared.

Iran ceasefire talks link to nuclear and missile demands

Washington linked the Iran ceasefire to broad conditions for ending the war. The US sought a full shutdown of Iran’s nuclear programme. It also sought strict limits on missile production. Another demand focused on support for allies, including Hezbollah and Hamas. Tehran said civilian uranium enrichment is a right. Tehran rejected trading away military capacity or alliances.

Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles also became a major point of dispute. Trump claimed Tehran accepted a plan for US removal of nuclear material. The material would come from sites hit in air raids. Iranian officials rejected that account. Iran said uranium produced inside the country will not be taken out. This gap added strain to the ceasefire talks.

Iran ceasefire tested by blockade and war timeline

Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi called the port blockade an "act of war". Abbas Araghchi said it weakens the Iran ceasefire. "Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Araghchi wrote. Tehran’s public stance rejected US threats. Tehran also described the naval siege as a truce breach.

The Iran ceasefire decision reversed Trump’s earlier comments that same day. Trump had told reporters time was almost up. Trump had also opposed extending the truce then. That warning increased fears of near-term strikes. Fighting between the US, Israel and Iran has grown since 28 February. Strikes began against Iranian targets on that date.

Several senior Iranian figures, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have been killed. Iran’s governing system stayed intact despite those losses. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, directed much of the war effort. Following Khamenei's death, Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as the new supreme leader last month. Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera's Ali Hashem challenged Trump’s reading of Tehran. Ali Hashem said the "seriously fractured" claim was likely a "misconception". "Iran has a very unified leadership since the assassination of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei," Hashem said. Hashem added: "Why? Because the new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and the circle around him are a team that's been working together for the past 15 years. Members of this team are currently in the centres of decision in Tehran."

The current Iran ceasefire followed an initial two-week truce agreed on 8 April. That earlier deal then faced disputes over Lebanon. It also faced friction over managing the Strait of Hormuz. Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center, called Trump’s statement a "way to cover the embarrassment" of stalled talks. Slavin said Trump was ready to send Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan. Slavin said Iran did not seem ready to attend.

Slavin also said: "This war hasn't gone the way he expected from the very beginning, and Iran has discovered new leverage in its control of the Strait of Hormuz," Slavin told Al Jazeera. Slavin said the US should "relinquish its maximalist demands". Slavin also urged "some sort of gesture that it is serious in seeking a resolution". With the blockade active and Iran’s reply pending, it remained unclear if the longer truce will bring a lasting end.