US Extends Ceasefire at 'Pakistan Request'; Peace Talks Still in Limbo
The United States extends its ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request while talks stall over the Strait of Hormuz blockade; rising drone strikes, maritime incidents and fluctuating oil prices add global uncertainty
April 22, 2026 - The United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday (April 21) announced an extension of the ceasefire with Iran “at Pakistan’s request” while awaiting the Islamabad talks to go through and arrive at some kind of a deal. This was after he had said earlier the same day that extension would be highly unlikely.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured ... we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal". He said the request was made by Pakistani mediators — military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. But no deadline of the extension was given.
PM Sharif expressed his gratitude to Trump for his “gracious acceptance” of the request to extend the ceasefire just before it was about to expire.
However, the stalemate on the talks between the US and Iran still continue. Iran has refused to be part of any negotiations until the naval blockade imposed by the US on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz is lifted. On the other hand, the US has said there will be no lifting of the blockade until Iran presents a unified proposal. The travel to Pakistan by US Vice-President JD Vance has also been indefinitely put off.
While the world watches with bated breath as to how the grim deadlock is going to pan out, there have been reports of scattered firing and drone attacks in the region. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported firing at a container vessel near Oman by an IRGC gunboat. All crew members were safe but the ship’s bridge was heavily damaged.
In an incident of an overnight Israeli drone attack on Lebanon, one person was killed and two others injured.
Meanwhile, oil prices have eased on the announcement of the ceasefire extension. Brent Crude dipped marginally by 0.2% but continues to stay above $98 a barrel while US benchmark crude dropped 0.4% to $89.29 a barrel.
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