President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he did not want to extend a rapidly expiring ceasefire in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. He told CNBC that the U.S. military was “raring to go” if negotiations were not successful. He spoke shortly after the U.S. military announced it had boarded a huge Iranian oil tanker at sea in international waters. This marks the first such move against Iran’s crude exports. Therefore, the Trump Iran truce expiry carries high stakes for regional stability.
The tanker seizure could make it more difficult to revive peace talks with Iran. Iran has said it will not negotiate while Washington enforces a blockade of its ports. Washington has expressed confidence that last-ditch talks with Iran will go ahead in Pakistan. A senior Iranian official said Tehran was considering joining. However, with the final hours of a two-week truce ticking by, there is little time left.
Trump Says Military Ready to Act
Asked about the possibility of extending the truce, Trump told CNBC: “I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time.” “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” he added. “But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.” His comments suggest the Trump Iran truce expiry will not lead to a negotiated extension.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said: “We do not want to be attacked again, but if such attacks occur, we will definitely respond more firmly than before.” She spoke according to the state news agency IRNA. The exchange of threats raises tensions as the ceasefire deadline approaches.
US Boards Iranian Tanker Tifani
The U.S. military said it had boarded the Tifani tanker linked to Iran “without incident.” The vessel last reported its position on Tuesday morning near Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, according to MarineTraffic tracking data. It was close to fully loaded with 2 million barrels of crude. The tanker had signaled Singapore as its destination.
“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran — anywhere they operate,” U.S. Central Command said. On social media, Trump said Iran had carried out numerous violations of the ceasefire. He did not give further details. He told CNBC that the blockade had been a success. The U.S. is in a strong position to end up with a “great deal.”
Iran Considers Talks as Deadline Looms
There was no immediate comment from Iran on the boarding. Iranian sources told Reuters Tehran had still not taken a final decision about whether to attend the next round of talks in Islamabad. Iran has largely blocked off the Strait of Hormuz that controls access to the Gulf to all ships but its own. It had announced last week that it would reopen the strait. However, it reversed that decision on Saturday after Trump refused to lift his blockade of Iranian ports. This has left the strait closed and the world deprived of the 20 million barrels of oil that typically crossed it each day.
Pakistani officials said that if the delegations do attend talks, they will not arrive until Wednesday. A first session of talks 10 days ago produced no agreement. Tehran had been ruling out a second round after the U.S. refused to end its blockade and seized an Iranian cargo ship. Trump has threatened to attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure if no deal is done. Still, a Pakistani source involved in the discussions told Reuters there was momentum for talks to resume. U.S. Vice President JD Vance is expected in Islamabad.
An Iranian official said on Monday that Tehran was “positively reviewing” its participation. However, he stressed that Iran was waiting to see if its conditions would be met. These conditions include recognition of its right to enrich uranium. Oil prices eased around $0.30 on expectations that peace talks will resume. Stocks bounced back in Asia, with European shares also up. Oil had jumped around 6% on Monday on doubts about the talks.
Nuclear Program Remains Crucial Issue
Trump wants an agreement that would prevent further oil price rises and stock market shocks. He has insisted Iran cannot have the means to develop a nuclear weapon. He wants Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. This material can, if further enriched, be used for a nuclear warhead. Tehran hopes to exploit its control of the strait to strike a deal that averts a restart of the war and lifts sanctions. It wants to retain more of its nuclear program, which it says is for peaceful purposes.
Trump initially announced the ceasefire would last two weeks from the evening of Tuesday, April 7 in Washington. He has lately suggested it runs until the evening of Wednesday, April 22, effectively an extra 24 hours. A Pakistani source involved in the talks also said it would expire at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday. That is 3:30 a.m. Thursday in Iran. Thousands have been killed by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. A parallel Israeli bombing campaign and invasion of Lebanon has also caused many casualties. The war has caused a historic shock to global energy supplies. Fears that the global economy could push to the brink of recession have grown. France said the surge in energy prices and bond yields triggered by the war would cost the government 4 billion to 6 billion euros. Pakistan has been preparing to host the talks despite the uncertainty. Nearly 20,000 security personnel have deployed across Islamabad, officials said. The Trump Iran truce expiry will determine whether diplomacy or military action follows.
