Trump Pauses Military Action Against Iran

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is pausing military action against Iran, just hours before a two-week ceasefire is set to expire.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social.

"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. "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."

Sharif welcomed Trump's decision in a post on X.

"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," he wrote. "With the trust and confidence reposed in, Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of conflict.

"I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal' during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict."

One reason for Trump's decision is that U.S. and Pakistani mediators have been waiting for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to respond to the latest proposal and give a clear directive to his negotiators, Axios reported Tuesday, citing a regional source familiar with the mediation efforts and an Israeli source with knowledge of the discussions.

Khamenei is expected to give his response Wednesday, the Israeli source said. But more than six weeks after he was announced as Iran's new supreme leader, following the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the conflict, Iranians have still not seen or heard from Mojtaba Khamenei.

Instead, statements attributed to the 56-year-old cleric have been read on national television or posted on social media. The regime has even used AI-generated videos to show Khamenei delivering messages, according to CNN, fueling speculation that the new supreme leader is incapacitated or abroad.

An national security adviser for Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf called Trump's ceasefire extension a ploy to buy time for "a surprise strike."

"Trump's ceasefire extension means nothing," Mahdi Mohammadi wrote on X. "The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response. Moreover, Trump's ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike. The time for Iran to take the initiative has come."

Trump ordered a two-week ceasefire April 8 in a conflict that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran's political leadership and military infrastructure. The parties held talks April 11 in Islamabad, but they broke down after Vice President JD Vance, leading the U.S. delegation, said the U.S. did not see "an affirmative commitment" from Iran that it "will not seek a nuclear weapon."

The sides were scheduled for talks Tuesday in Islamabad, but Vance postponed his trip because Iran had not committed to attending. Tehran has linked its participation to complaints about the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and other issues.

Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Tehran had not requested a ceasefire extension, according to Reuters, warning that the continuation of a naval blockade amounts to ongoing hostility. Tasnim said as long as the blockade persists, Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz and, if necessary, will break the blockade by force.

On Monday, Trump reportedly was signaling he had little appetite for extending the ceasefire, with administration officials saying he prefers a final agreement rather than another temporary pause.

"We'll see what happens," Trump said, stressing that extending the ceasefire is "highly unlikely" and casting the deadline as a crucial test for diplomacy.

Multiple layers of Iran's leadership have been killed since the conflict began. Those who survived have struggled to communicate and cannot meet in person for fear their calls could be intercepted by the U.S. or Israel and lead to airstrikes.

Conservative elements within the Iranian government and military leadership, including those at the top of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have taken the continuation of the U.S. blockade as a further signal that Trump can't be trusted, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing U.S. and Iranian officials.

The IRGC's leader, Ahmad Vahidi, is among those in that camp and is pushing for a tough negotiating stance, people familiar with the dynamics told Bloomberg. There is a divide between figures like Vahidi and less ideological leaders, such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who are more inclined to reach an accord with the U.S.