Trump extends ceasefire; Iran vows military response to naval blockade

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran that was set to expire on Wednesday night (midnight GMT Tuesday).

"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, 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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The U.S. president said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."

The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and "remain ready and able," according to Trump.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire" and attacking Iranian merchant ships and detaining their crew members were even more serious violations.

"Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Araghchi wrote in his post.

Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said the U.S. blockade must be met with a military response, dismissing Trump's ceasefire extension announcement as "meaningless".

"Extending the ceasefire by Trump has no meaning. The losing side cannot dictate terms. Continuing the blockade is no different from bombing and must be met with a military response. Moreover, any extension of the ceasefire by Trump is certainly a way to buy time for a surprise attack. Now is the time for Iran to take the initiative," Mohammadi posted on X.

Trump extends ceasefire; Iran vows military response to naval blockade

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is creating the worst energy crisis the world has ever faced, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol said on Tuesday.

Birol said the energy crisis, resulting from shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz coupled with the fuel and natural gas supply issues brought about by the Ukraine crisis, has already had a huge impact globally.

Europe may have only about six weeks of jet fuel remaining if current supply disruptions persist, Birol warned on April 16.

In March, the IEA agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat rising oil prices caused by the war in Iran.

Approximately 20 percent of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas pass through the Strait of Hormuz during peacetime. Maritime traffic in the Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the U.S-Israeli strikes against Iran started at the end of February, sparking turbulence in global energy markets.

U.S.-Iran war creating worst energy crisis in history: IEA chief