- President Donald Trump told Bloomberg in a Monday phone interview that the two-week ceasefire, announced April 7, expires “Wednesday evening Washington time” and that it’s “highly unlikely that I’d extend it” if the U.S. and Iran can’t reach a deal before then.
- The ceasefire was previously expected to expire at 0000 GMT Wednesday (8 p.m. ET Tuesday.)
- It comes as the U.S. Navy's seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz threw a second round of peace talks with Iran into doubt, the first such interception since the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began last week.
- Iran’s military vowed to respond and Trump shut down reports that he was considering ending the U.S. blockade in order to reach a deal with the Iranians.
- Trump said Vice President JD Vance, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff would be going to Islamabad Monday, but Iranians made no commitment to a second round of talks with the U.S. and it wasn’t clear if Vance had departed the U.S. en route to Pakistan.
IN FULL