The tentative pause in the US‑Israeli conflict with Iran was rattled on Wednesday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on three vessels and seized two international ships in the Strait of Hormuz, undermining chances for renewed ceasefire negotiations.
President Donald Trump said he was extending the truce to give more time for mediation led by Pakistan, though the White House later clarified that no new firm expiration date had been set. Tehran offered no public endorsement of the extension and said it had not yet decided whether to attend another round of talks, accusing the United States of negotiating in bad faith.
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf demanded that any lasting ceasefire include an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, calling the blockade an act of war and saying the strait could not be reopened while it remained in place. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran had not agreed to the proposed talks, and Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s mission in Egypt, told the AP that no Iranian delegation would travel to Pakistan until the blockade was lifted.
The confrontation has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that carries roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil shipments and a significant share of liquefied natural gas exports. The disruption has rattled shipping, driven up energy and fertilizer prices, and added pressure to economies already feeling the strain.
On the ground, residents expressed uncertainty about what comes next. One Tehran resident said it was unclear whether recent events would produce enduring peace or merely set the stage for more fighting.
With diplomatic momentum stalled and a vital waterway shuttered, the Hormuz standoff now looms over any hope that the ceasefire extension will lead to sustained negotiations or a swift easing of hostilities.