Washington, United States. US President Donald Trump said there had been “some pretty good news” about Iran and expressed optimism about negotiations, while warning the ceasefire may not be extended without a deal by Wednesday.
Trump cites progress but links extension to a deal
Trump, speaking on Air Force One late on Friday while returning to Washington from Phoenix, Arizona, declined to elaborate on what the good news was. He told reporters negotiations would continue over the weekend and said many elements had been negotiated and agreed to.
He said the main issue was preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. In contrast, he said he may end the ceasefire with Iran unless a long-term deal to end the war is reached before it expires on Wednesday, and added that a US blockade of Iranian ports would continue.
Strait of Hormuz reopening and shipping uncertainty
Iran earlier temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz after a separate US-brokered ceasefire agreement by Israel and Lebanon. Subsequent statements from both sides left uncertainty over how quickly shipping might return to normal through the strait, a major global oil chokepoint.
War timeline, oil impact, and expected talks
The war with Iran, which began on February 28 with a US-Israeli attack, has killed thousands and pushed oil prices higher due to the de facto closure of the strait, which until recently carried about a fifth of the world’s oil trade.
Trump told Reuters there would probably be more direct talks between Iran and the US this weekend. Some diplomats said that was unlikely due to the logistics of gathering in Islamabad, where the talks are expected to take place.
There were no signs early on Saturday of preparations for talks in the Pakistani capital, where the highest-level US-Iran negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended without agreement last weekend. Pakistani mediator and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has been holding talks in Tehran since Wednesday.
What do you expect will determine whether the ceasefire is extended beyond Wednesday?
