WASHINGTON, April 22 – In a contradictory series of announcements that have amplified tensions in the already volatile Persian Gulf, US President Donald Trump has extended a fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran even as he issued a stark new threat to launch devastating bombing strikes on Iranian territory, including targeting the country’s top leadership.
The current temporary truce between the two nations was scheduled to expire at the end of Wednesday. Early on Tuesday, Trump confirmed that the ceasefire would remain in place for an additional period, a move that briefly raised hopes for de-escalation in the standoff centered on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of global oil supplies pass daily.
However, just hours after announcing the ceasefire extension, the US president took to his Truth Social platform to deliver a bellicose warning that undercuts any prospects for diplomatic negotiation between the two countries. Trump claimed that any US action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping chokepoint that has been a flashpoint in US-Iran tensions for decades – would rule out any future diplomatic agreement with Tehran.
“An agreement would be impossible unless we blow up the rest of their country,” Trump wrote in the social media post. He added that Iranian national leaders are explicitly “included” in the targets of any potential new bombing campaign.
The dual announcements have drawn international attention, as the global community has repeatedly called for restraint to prevent a full-scale conflict from breaking out in the Middle East. The United Nations recently publicly voiced hope that talks between the US and Iran could be resumed to resolve outstanding differences through diplomatic channels, but Trump’s latest threat casts significant doubt on the prospects for any near-term diplomatic breakthrough.