President Donald Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that the United States’ ceasefire with Iran will continue until Tehran presents its proposal for ongoing peace talks. The extension comes as Vice President Vance’s planned trip to Pakistan for negotiations has been postponed.
A White House staffer confirmed that Vice President Vance was participating in policy meetings at the White House Tuesday morning. President Trump had previously stated that Vance would lead the U.S. delegation for peace negotiations in Pakistan.
Responding to the delay, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said: “It is not out of indecisiveness. It is because we are facing contradictory messages and behaviors and unacceptable actions from the American counterpart.”
The ceasefire extension was discussed by Janatan Sayeh from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), who outlined three scenarios facing Washington. According to Sayeh, the Trump administration has repeatedly indicated it is unwilling to pursue another Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)-style deal that would only benefit the Islamic Republic.
Sayeh explained that the remaining options include the U.S. walking away and leaving the Strait of Hormuz to European, Gulf Arab, or Israeli partners—where Iran would be seen as the aggressor—or escalation, as Iran continues to violate the ceasefire through proxies and war moves.
On Iran’s internal stance, Sayeh noted two opposing views: some elements see the situation as an existential threat, particularly given U.S. aims to facilitate conditions for Iranians to define their own destiny, while ideologically devoted factions may fight to the death, viewing martyrdom as a win scenario.
Regarding the nuclear file, Sayeh described two parallel challenges: physically extracting highly enriched uranium from inside Iran without boots on the ground is difficult, and even if removed, there is no guarantee Iran will not enrich again to weapons-grade levels. He added that Tehran has so far shown no willingness to cooperate.
