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World – US President Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire with Iran at the request of Pakistani leaders, as diplomatic efforts to broker a permanent peace deal remain in flux. The extension came hours before the original two-week ceasefire was set to expire, with Iran yet to commit publicly to returning to the negotiating table.
Pakistan has been serving as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, with the appeal made through Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, citing a divided Iranian government as a central reason for the pause.
“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.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the announcement and thanked Washington for accommodating the request. Sharif has been pushing for a second round of direct talks in Islamabad and expressed hope that a lasting agreement remained within reach.
“On my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course. With the trust and confidence reposed in, Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for a negotiated settlement of the conflict,” Sharif wrote on X.
Iranian Officials Signal Defiance
Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pushed back against the extension, warning that Iran would not negotiate under pressure and that it had spent the past two weeks preparing new measures. He rejected the ceasefire as a cover for continued aggression.
“Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table — in his own imagination — into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering. We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield,” Ghalibaf wrote.
Mahdi Mohammadi, adviser to Ghalibaf, went further on X, calling for a direct Iranian military response and dismissing any diplomatic value in the announcement.
“Trump’s ceasefire extension means nothing. The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response,” Mohammadi wrote, adding that the extension was “certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike.”
