US President Donald Trump, in a statement regarding the extension of the ceasefire agreement with Iran, said that under the current circumstances, extending the agreement is “quite unlikely.”
Speaking ahead of the ceasefire, which is set to end Wednesday evening Washington time, Trump stated that conflict could be inevitable if an agreement could not be reached between the parties.
Trump announced that US Vice President JD Vance would be traveling to Pakistan today and that negotiations would proceed within that framework. He maintained that the Strait of Hormuz would only be reopened after a formal agreement was signed, and stated that the talks with Iran were beneficial to all parties. The US President also indicated that he might want to participate in the talks personally, but did not think it was necessary.
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Markets fluctuated following Trump’s remarks. The S&P 500 index extended its losses to 0.5%, while oil prices briefly rose by $1.
On the other hand, statements from the Iranian side increased the uncertainty surrounding the negotiation process. Tasnim News Agency, known for its close ties to Iran, reported on April 20 that the Tehran administration’s decision not to participate in the talks remained unchanged. This indicated that diplomatic contacts between the parties had not yet made any concrete progress.
Assessments on the issue also came from Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron criticized both the US and Iran for their stances on closing the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that both sides were taking the wrong approach.
In addition, according to information reported by Axios, the US is preparing to host a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on April 23.
*This is not investment advice.
