Three US officials speaking with Axios claimed that President Donald Trump does not plan to have an open-ended ceasefire with Iran, and is planning to give Tehran under a week to present a proposal to Washington.
“Trump is willing to give another three to five days of ceasefire to allow the Iranians to get their shit together. It is not going to be open-ended,” one source briefed on the matter said.
A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran was scheduled to expire on Tuesday. Just hours before the truce ended, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was extending the ceasefire to allow Iranian officials time to work out internal differences.
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request 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,” he wrote Tuesday. “I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
A US official speaking with Axios claimed there were significant divisions within the Iranian government. “We saw that there is an absolute fracture inside Iran between the negotiators and the military — with neither side having access to the supreme leader, who is not responsive,” they claimed.
However, Tehran has consistently presented the same ten-point proposal to end the conflict. Iran’s demands include recognition of Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations, and a pledge that the US or Israel will not start another war.
It is unclear what Trump will do if Tehran refuses to sign a deal with the US and the ceasefire drags on. Publicly, the President has threatened to destroy the society of Iran. Officials told Axios that, privately, Trump has concluded that the US has achieved all it can militarily in Iran.
“It certainly looks like Trump doesn’t want to use military force anymore and has made a decision to end the war,” one source close to Trump explained.
