Mediators push to extend US-Iran ceasefire before deadline

Shafaq News- Washington/ Tehran

Mediators moved closer to extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and resuming negotiations before it expires next week, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

A senior US official said Washington has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire, noting that engagement with Iran is ongoing. Meanwhile, a senior Iranian military official, Ali Abdollahi, warned that Tehran could halt trade across key waterways, including the Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea, if the United States does not lift the naval siege on Iran.

Iran and the United States agreed on April 8 to a two-week ceasefire, followed by a round of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, which ended without tangible results. Although a resumption of hostilities has not been officially declared, tensions remain high following the United States’ imposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

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