President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he was extending the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely until negotiations are complete, reversing course from recent comments that he did not plan to extend the deadline again. 

Trump said on Truth Social that he was making the decision at the request of Pakistani negotiators and “based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so,” so that Iran’s “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,” Trump continued.

The news came shortly before the ceasefire was set to expire — Trump had said it would expire Wednesday evening, while Pakistani officials said Tuesday night. Vice President JD Vance had been set to leave for the discussions in Islamabad early Tuesday morning but postponed his trip, instead staying in Washington. Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the White House Tuesday afternoon, shortly before Trump made the announcement.. 

The news represented a stark reversal of Trump’s own comments made earlier Tuesday: Asked on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” if he would extend the ceasefire to allow time for negotiations to continue, Trump said, “Well, I don’t want to do that.”

He said further that he preferred resuming military operations to extending the ceasefire. “I expect to be bombing, because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with, but we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.”

A White House official confirmed to reporters early Tuesday evening that, “In light of President Trump’s TRUTH Social post confirming the United States is awaiting a unified proposal from the Iranians, the trip to Pakistan will not be happening today. Any further updates on in-person meetings will be announced by the White House.” 

The official did not say that Vance’s trip was canceled, and his spokesperson could not immediately be reached by Jewish Insider to confirm if the vice president was planning to make another trip to Pakistan for talks. 

In response to the news, Pakistani Prime ‌Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement thanking Trump for “graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.” 

Sharif referenced “the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict” in his statement, posted to X, though he did not provide a date.