“Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. So you have a blockade, and unfortunately we’ll have to start dropping bombs again,” he said aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington from Phoenix, Arizona.
The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire proposal put forward by Pakistan on April 7, setting April 21 as the initial deadline for reaching a broader agreement.
It remains unclear whether Trump’s reference to April 22 reflects an extension of the deadline or a misstatement.
A second round of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran is likely to be held on April 20 in Islamabad, Pakistan, U.S. officials said.
Iranian officials also told CNN that their delegation is expected to arrive in Islamabad on April 19, with negotiations likely to take place the following day.
Iran has also raised expectations for a deal by announcing that it would fully allow commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following ceasefire declarations between Israel and Lebanon.
However, major differences remain over key issues, including uranium enrichment and Iran’s nuclear program.
The first round of talks collapsed after the two sides failed to narrow differences on enrichment.
U.S. media reported that Washington had softened its earlier demand for a complete ban on uranium enrichment, instead proposing a 20-year suspension. Iran reportedly countered with a five-year proposal, preventing a breakthrough.
Trump earlier said Iran had “agreed to everything,” including not possessing nuclear weapons, and would hand over what he described as “nuclear dust” buried underground following U.S. strikes involving B-2 bombers last June.
But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the claim in an interview with state-run IRIB, saying Iran’s enriched uranium “will not be transferred anywhere.”
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