Trump says Iran government 'seriously fractured', deal a must before blockade is lifted
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US President Donald Trump has said the US will not lift the Hormuz blockade until a "deal" made. The US president's comments come amid uncertainty as Iran skips peace talks in Pakistan, and Iran-linked ships are seized by the US Navy.
US forces have boarded the crude oil tanker M/T Tifani in the Indian Ocean, marking what appears to be a new escalation in efforts to disrupt Iran-linked shipping. The move, confirmed by Pentagon, came as the 330-metre very large crude carrier (VLCC), built in 2003, was sailing far away from Hormuz while appearing fully laden with crude. The Tifani was reportedly carrying about 2 million barrels of crude loaded at Kharg, a key Iranian oil export hub, earlier this month. Tracking data showed the vessel passed Dondra Head on April 19 and entered Southeast Asia on April 20 before being boarded by US Marines.
The Middle East conflict and the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz are shaking confidence in the world’s most important oil chokepoint, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol. He warned that even if the waterway reopens quickly, the oil market will not simply snap back to normal, because restoring output, shipping flows and investment "will take time".
US President Donald Trump issued a statement on Truth Social asserting that he was extending the ceasefire with Iran. He wrote: "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.
"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."
In total, 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from Lufthansa's schedule through October, equivalent to approximately 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel, the price of which has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict. The planned consolidation of the European network is being carried out across Lufthansa Group's six hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome. With the cancellation of routes from Frankfurt to Bydgoszcz and Rzeszów (Poland) as well as Stavanger (Norway), at least three destinations have been temporarily removed from the current flight schedule.
Iran has decided not to attend talks in Pakistan on Wednesday, according to Tasnim News Agency, which said the decision is final. Tehran informed the United States through a Pakistani intermediary that its negotiating team would not be present in Islamabad for “various reasons” and that there is currently no prospect of participation in the talks.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday threatened to end oil production in the Middle East if the Islamic republic faced attacks launched from its Gulf neighbours' territory.
"The southern neighbours should know that if their geography and facilities are used in the service of the enemies to attack the Iranian nation, they should bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East," the commander of Guards' aerospace force, Majid Mousavi, was quoted by Fars news agency as saying.
Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday the Islamic republic knew how to "resist bullying", as a ceasefire was due to expire and Tehran had yet to formally respond to an invite to talks with the US in Islamabad.
"Iran knows how to neutralise restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Abbas Araghchi said on X, denouncing a US blockade of Iranian ports as "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire".
Any suggestion that the UAE requires external financial backing misreads the facts, Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE’s Ambassador to the United States, said, stressing that the UAE is one of the world’s most financially resilient economies, underpinned by more than $2 trillion in sovereign investment assets.
“We very much appreciate President Trump’s recognition of the UAE as one of America’s most important economic and trade partners. That recognition reflects the depth of a relationship built on mutual interest, mutual investment and long-term strategic confidence,” he said.
Iran’s envoy to the United Nations Amir-Saeid Iravani said Tehran has made clear that lifting the blockade is a key precondition before any next round of negotiations can take place. Meanwhile, an American official, cited by AP, said it is difficult to predict what may happen if the ceasefire ends without a meeting in Islamabad, noting that Donald Trump has alternative options that fall short of resuming airstrikes on Iran.
A US official said Vice President JD Vance's trip to Islamabad for potential ceasefire talks with Iran has been called off and put on hold, but cautioned that US President Donald Trump could change his mind at any minute.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected in Washington on Tuesday afternoon for consultations about how to proceed.
The official declined to predict what would happen if the current ceasefire expires without another meeting in Islamabad but noted that Trump retains options short of restarting airstrikes.
