Trump’s Final-Day Push: How Last-Minute Moves Prolonged Iran Nuclear Deal Talks

Just hours before the two-week pause in hostilities with Iran was due to end, Donald Trump said Tuesday it would continue for now. The United States will not strike the Islamic Republic immediately. Both nations had made clear that if no agreement held, they stood ready to fight again.

Trump says Pakistani officials asked for extra time, since Iran’s divided leaders still need to agree on a peace plan. Talks meant for Tuesday shifted to Wednesday after that got scrapped too. The pause in fighting continues while Washington waits for Tehran’s answer. No fixed date now hangs over the next meeting.

Now turning back on past words, Trump had said just hours before that no delay would come for the truce ending near 6:30 p.m. Eastern (1:30 a.m. in Israel). A shift like this one surprised many who heard his firm stance still echoing.

“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 wrote on Truth Social.

“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,” Trump added.

A US official mentioned that JD Vance scrapped plans to visit Pakistan ahead of any possible negotiations. Talks might still happen, though Iran remains unsure about joining. Steve Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner, heads back to Washington to weigh next steps. Decision points pile up quietly behind closed doors.

Into the night on Tuesday, Pakistani officials pushed hard to bring opposing parties back to the table. Sharif led efforts that eventually took hold. A fresh round of ceasefire discussions came together after tense hours. Later, the country’s top leader expressed gratitude toward Trump. The US president had agreed to prolong the pause, following an appeal from Islamabad.

Trump meets Sharif at Gaza peace summit in Egypt

Hope came through clearly in Sharif's post on X, where he said both parties should stick to the truce while pushing toward a full peace settlement in another meeting set for Islamabad - though no date was given. Those earlier discussions, happening April 11 and 12, represented the most senior exchanges between America and Iran since the upheaval of 1979, yet concluded with nothing settled.

Later came silence from Iran’s top figures after Trump spoke. Though connected to the Revolutionary Guard, Tasnim News made clear Tehran hadn’t sought more time on fighting. Force remains an option they stressed, aimed at tearing through American restrictions. From inside parliament, one aide close to the chief talks officer shrugged off the U.S. president’s words. Weightless, he called them, those statements just now issued.

“Trump’s ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike,” Mahdi Mohammadi, the parliament speaker’s adviser, said in a statement on social media, calling the US blockade an ongoing military aggression. “The time for Iran to take the initiative has come.”

Earlier today, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on national television that attendance hasn’t been confirmed yet due to what he called unacceptable behavior from the United States - likely pointing at the ongoing blockade. While nothing is settled, the hesitation stems directly from those conditions imposed across borders.

Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Holds Weekly Press Conference in Tehran

Israel doubts deal coming, preparing for war

A top defense source said Tuesday that Israel doubts an agreement between Iran and the US will happen. Still working alongside Washington, they are getting ready if fighting starts again.

“The Iranians are trying to stall for time and are speaking out of both sides of their mouth. We and the Americans are coordinated and prepared to resume the war immediately,” the official said.

JD Vance Arrives in Athens Georgia on Air Force Two

Fighter jets and refueling tankers have moved through the Middle East during drills, people close to the situation say. Since the truce started, preparations for renewed conflict have taken shape under Israel's watchful eye, alongside American forces. Exercises unfolded quietly, yet steadily, as both nations stayed engaged behind the scenes.

Last week, when Admiral Brad Cooper came to Israel, decisions shaped up fast - plans got aligned, targets listed, all pointing toward Iranian power grids and key state systems. The meeting sealed it: infrastructure now in sight, thanks to coordination between U.S. Central Command and Israeli officials.

Pressure from such strikes would aim to push Iran into dropping its nuclear efforts and stockpile of enriched uranium, according to the document.

Even if the current war ends, the leader of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebel group said, “There is no doubt that further rounds of fighting are coming, as it is merely a truce within a continuous conflict with the enemy.”

Facing cameras Tuesday, Abdul Malik al-Houthis voice carried weight as he spoke of rising risks. With the shaky truce close to unraveling, tension could spike at any moment, he said. His words painted a picture where conflict might flare simply because restraint has worn thin.

Donald Trump Listens in the Oval Office

US says its forces board sanctioned oil tanker

Early Tuesday, American officials confirmed military personnel took control of an oil tanker once flagged for moving Iranian crude across Asian waters. A statement from the Pentagon appeared online, describing the move onto the M/T Tifani as smooth, no clashes reported. From start to finish, everything unfolded without resistance

Where exactly the crew took control stayed unclear. Still, records of the ship’s path placed the Tifani moving through open sea near Sri Lanka and Indonesia earlier this week. A message from defense officials made one thing clear - ships under penalty can’t escape rules just by sailing far out. Open ocean doesn’t mean free passage

Out at sea, American forces took control of an Iranian cargo vessel last weekend. This marks the start of port blockades targeting Iran. Tehran's unified defense leadership labeled the raid outright theft, saying it breaks truce terms already agreed upon.

Strait of Hormuz control key to negotiations

Back then, Washington tightened restrictions hoping Iran would stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz - one-fifth of global oil and gas moves here when things are calm. Pressure built slowly, tied directly to movement in those narrow waters.

Fear of blocked tankers pushed costs higher. On Tuesday, Brent crude - global benchmark - hovered near ninety-five dollars each barrel. That marks a rise exceeding thirty percent since February twenty-eighth. Violence began then: American and Israeli forces struck Iranian sites, kicking off conflict. Control over the narrow sea route now rests with Tehran.

A Tanker Anchored Near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on April 18 2026

Back then, ships moved freely through the Strait of Hormuz until conflict changed everything. Now, demands echo from Washington - unhindered passage must return, insists Trump.

On Tuesday, transport leaders from across the European Union gathered in Brussels. With warnings ringing out, their focus turned to safeguarding people. The chief of the International Energy Agency had just said Europe might have only about six weeks of jet fuel left. Instead of waiting, officials began weighing what steps could help. Fueled by urgency, the talks aimed at finding practical responses.

Fresh talks brought fresh ideas from America, though Tehran pointed out deep differences still stand. The prior attempt fell apart because of arguments about enriched uranium, allies abroad, then trouble near the waterway. Not much has smoothed over since.

On Tuesday, Iran's parliament head, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the U.S. expects Tehran to give up without a fight. Though quiet at first, his words carried weight by noon.

“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” he wrote in an X post.