&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Maybe I won't extend it': Trump not interested in 'extending' ceasefire, insists US will continue blockade of Iran ports")
US President Donald Trump on Friday (Apr 17) said he may not extend the US-Iran ceasefire, which is due to expire on Wednesday (Apr 22). Trump also insisted that the naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place. This comes as Iran threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz once again if the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports. In a X post, Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote, "With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open". He also said that passage through the waterway would require authorisation from Iran.
Also read | US extends Russian oil sanctions waiver despite Scott Bessent's pledge not to. What does it mean for India?
US-Iran deal 'very soon'?
Talking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump insisted that the blockade of Iran's ports is "going to remain".
"Maybe I won't extend it, but the blockade is going to remain," he told reporters when asked about the ceasefire's future. He added that he still believes a broader peace deal is achievable. "I think it's going to happen," he said.
Trump also ruled out another Iranian proposal that had surfaced during the Pakistan talks — the imposition of tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. "There are not going to be tolls," he said flatly.
Trending Stories
)
Xi Jinping's new AI bloc: China launches 'World AI Body' with Pakistan and Russia in, India out
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026: 5 football stars who went viral on social media during the tournament
)
Karoline Leavitt to be US Vice President when Usha Vance gives birth? JD Vance says...
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
'There is no need for...': PM Modi takes a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, sends big message amid Parliament March
)
'Could be bombed at any moment': What Iran's Araghchi told Trump envoy Witkoff during negotiations
)
Salman Khan breaks silence on health concerns after viral Mumbai appearance
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 20-26, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, 72 Hours- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Maha CM Wife Amruta Fadnavis' Yoga Day appearance sparks social media debate over attire | Watch
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
2026 FIFA World Cup awards: Full list of Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove and every major winner
)
JD and Usha Vance welcome fourth child: Who serves as acting US vice president during Vance's paternity leave?
)
Older than Himalayas: 85mn-year-old Kewra plant reached India 24mn years ago, fossil discovery in Assam shows
)
Did Iran secretly ship 70 million barrels of oil to China? Report claims $6 billion crude exported before blockade restored
)
Homer's Iliad written before The Odyssey found inside an Egyptian mummy
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026 awards race: Who are Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Golden Glove contenders ahead of the final
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Global air power ranking 2026: India surpasses China
)
Truck loaded with stones, metro stations closed: What's happening at Jantar Mantar now
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s cockpit glass is thicker than a standard fighter jet
)
Student union leaders call off hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after civil society appeal, but protest continues
)
Tulsi Gabbard's brother Batarti accused of luring children to hotel room in Hawaii
)
'Chalo Sansad' march today: Section 163 in force, Delhi Police remove barricades; unfazed Dharmendra Pradhan meets NEET topper
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s tail fins are canted to minimize its radar footprint
)
Imran Khan's sister links India-Pakistan 2025 conflict to Israel recognition plans
)
US strikes Iran, sirens heard in Kuwait, one American soldier killed in Iraq: What's happening in West Asia
)
Argentina's racism problem: How football chants reflect a deeper historical legacy
)
'What is wrong...': Anna Hazare breaks silence on Sonam Wangchuk's protest, makes an appeal to Centre
In a separate statement to AFP, he said that a peace deal was 'very close' and that the Iranians have agreed to surrender their nuclear materials. Iran, meanwhile, has rejected the POTUS's claims.
China ‘very happy’ about the re-opening of Hormuz
On a more optimistic note, Trump posted on Truth Social that Chinese President Xi Jinping was "very happy" about the strait's reopening, and referenced an upcoming summit in Beijing in May. "Our meeting in China will be a special one and, potentially, Historic," he wrote — a signal that Trump sees the broader geopolitical moment as connected to his China diplomacy as well.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
