Summary

  • Donald Trump says he will extend the ceasefire with Iran until talks between the two countries have progressed

  • The US president says the blockade of Iranian ports will also continue until Tehran presents a "unified proposal"

  • The status of the US-Iran talks had been unclear with the current ceasefire previously due to expire this week

  • Vice President JD Vance did not depart for Islamabad as expected on Tuesday, remaining in Washington, the White House has since told reporters he will now not be going

  • Iran too had not decided whether to send a delegation to Pakistan for talks with the US talks, a foreign ministry spokesperson told the BBC

  • With this ceasefire extension, Trump has bought himself more time and indicates he is increasingly interested in ending this conflict, our Washington correspondent writes

  1. Negotiating with US ‘irrational’ from now on - Iranian MPpublished at 23:10 BST

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    Senior reporter, BBC Persian

    It's a little after 01:35 in Tehran but Iranian officials have been posting on social media since President Trump's announcement, perhaps giving us some indication of the mood in Iran.

    Mahmoud Nabavian, an Iranian member of parliament who was part of the delegation in the first round of talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad, has said on X that “from now on”, negotiating with the US is “purely detrimental and irrational”.

    Separately, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, Iran’s top military command, has warned that Iran’s forces, in case of an attack against Iran, will “strike pre-determined targets delivering another, even harsher lesson” to the US and Israel.

    In both Nabavian’s post and Khatam al-Anbiya’s statement, there was no mention of an extension to the ceasefire, though both were reported by Iranian outlets after Donald Trump’s announcement.

    We have yet to see any reaction from Iran’s Foreign Ministry or its officials, or from Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf himself.

  2. Vance trip to Pakistan cancelledpublished at 22:47 BST

    The White House has now confirmed Vice President JD Vance's trip to Pakistan for peace negotiations has been cancelled.

    Vance was expected to travel to Islamabad for the second time this month, arriving on Wednesday in hopes of finalising a deal with Iranian officials.

    "Any further updates on in-person meetings will be announced by the White House," an administration official says, according to CBS, the BBC's US partner.

    The cancellation comes after President Trump announced he had agreed to a request to extend the US-Iran ceasefire indefinitely.

    JD Vance, wearing a blue suit and red tie, stands before a microphone with a large chandelier behind himImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    JD Vance in Islamabad earlier this month

  3. Pakistani prime minister thanks Trump for extending ceasefirepublished at 22:34 BST

    Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has thanked Trump after the US president announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran shortly before it expired.

    "I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course," he says in an online statement.

    "With the trust and confidence reposed in, Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of conflict," the statement adds. "I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict."

  4. Iran displays missiles in several pro-government ralliespublished at 22:28 BST

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    Senior reporter, BBC Persian

    Close up of a cream-coloured missile with three uniformed officers around itImage source, Telegram/Mehr News

    We're still waiting for official reaction from Iran, where tonight there were pro-government rallies featuring displays of ballistic missiles.

    Iran’s Ghadr ballistic missile was on full display tonight during a nightly pro-government rally in a main square in Tehran, where those gathered chanted “Death to America” and hailed IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) Aerospace Force commander Majid Mousavi, calling on him to “target Tel Aviv”.

    In a separate instance in the capital, the Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile was displayed in another major square in Tehran.

    A photo attached to the missile stated that the target is Qatar’s RasGas, a liquefied natural gas company.

    These displays were not limited to Tehran tonight. In the southern city of Shiraz, northwestern city of Tabriz and central city of Zanjan, missiles were also put on display.

    These pro-government rallies have been held every day in main squares across Iran since the start of the war on 28 February, with Iranian officials and state TV urging people to participate.

    Usually held at night, these rallies not only project an image of public support for the government with people waving the Islamic Republic’s flag, but also make it more difficult for opponents to gather in main squares after dark.

  5. Trump doesn't mention Iranpublished at 22:23 BST

    Despite the fact that Trump made a major announcement just before the NCAA event, he did not end up mentioning the war in Iran during his speech to college athletes.

    At a number of other White House events, he has commented on the situation in Iran even when the event is unrelated. At the White House Easter Egg Roll, he discussed the war while standing beside a nodding Easter Bunny.

  6. Trump is speaking at the White Housepublished at 22:07 BST

    President Trump is speaking at a White House event honouring NCAA Collegiate National Champions Day.

    We're monitoring for any mention of the war in Iran.

  7. Analysis

    Trump's announcement is quite a turnaround from just hours earlierpublished at 22:06 BST

    Sarah Smith
    North America editor

    Close up photo of President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press aboard Air Force One on April 17, 2026Image source, Getty Images

    The announcement from Donald Trump that he has agreed to extend the ceasefire with Iran – indefinitely – is quite a turnaround from his position just a few hours earlier.

    Speaking to CNBC this morning, Trump said “I expect to be bombing” and said the military was “raring to go.” He also repeated his threat to destroy every bridge and power plant inside Iran.

    Now, with just hours to go before the existing ceasefire would expire he has agreed to and open ended end pause in hostilities. Saying he has done so at the request of the Pakistani government.

    Donald Trump has tried to intimidate the Iranian regime with bellicose threats throughout this conflict. Now it looks like he really does not want to start attacking Iran again.

  8. US administration has taken a deep breath, and a step backpublished at 21:58 BST

    Gary O'Donoghue
    Chief North America correspondent

    What you're getting here in a massive breathing space, a massive stepping back from the brink of more bombing and destruction inside Iran.

    It's interesting that the president is talking about fractured leadership in Iran. It seems the US delegation is trying to work out who to actually deal with, and what kind of proposal they can offer.

    The issues are clear - the reopening of Strait of Hormuz, Iran's ability to enrich uranium and retain its capacity. The suspicion here is that although they say they don't want a bomb, what they want is the option for a bomb one day.

    There are still hugely substantive issues to sort out between the two sides. Standing on the precipice of another set of bombing as the ceasefire was about to expire, the US administration has taken a deep breath, a step back, and will see what happens next.

  9. Oil prices volatile but back below $100 for nowpublished at 21:46 BST

    It has been an unsettled day for oil prices during all the twists and turns over talks between the US and Iran.

    Earlier, Brent crude surged by more than 5% to over $100 a barrel.

    Following Trump's announcement about extending the ceasefire, it is now back to $98.97.

    However, that is still ahead of where prices opened earlier and 35% higher than the end of February before the war began.

  10. Analysis

    Trump buys himself more timepublished at 21:38 BST

    Daniel Bush
    Washington correspondent

    President Donald Trump has decided to buy himself more time with Iran.

    Trump's announcement Tuesday that he was extending the ceasefire with Iran postponed the deadline he set for Tehran to reach a deal or else face a resumption of the war on Wednesday.

    In extending the truce Trump opted not to make good - for now - on his threats to restart a punishing air campaign against Tehran. But it also ensured that he'll be forced to make that choice again sometime in the coming days or weeks.

    When that might be is unclear. Trump did not specify on Tuesday exactly how long the new ceasefire extension will last - only that he was giving Iran more time to offer a "unified proposal" to end the war.

    It marked the second time in two weeks that Trump backed off from threats to escalate the war - a sign he seems increasingly interested in winding down the conflict.

  11. Analysis

    With ceasefire extension, Trump seeks more flexibilitypublished at 21:28 BST

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    Donald Trump's Truth Social post announcing that the ceasefire has been extended is revelatory, and is the clearest glimpse we have had today at the administration's current thinking on the possibility of talks.

    For one, Trump's post lays out that, in his view, it is unclear what exactly the Iranian proposal is, and who in the Tehran government is actually in charge.

    This is a continuation of something Trump says often - that Iran's leadership has been decimated, and that internal communications and deliberations are chaotic.

    His announcement also stops short of a full-scale return to hostilities, which would be complicated for the president politically in the US and economically with regards to oil prices.

    Notably, he has not offered a timeline, and has eliminated any ticking clock to come up with a solution - a strategy that theoretically gives him much more flexibility.

    The blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains. Iran views this as an act of war, and that is likely to remain an impediment to any negotiations going forward. It could choose to escalate, or to continue a "cold" war, of sorts, in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

  12. Trump says he will extend ceasefire with Iran and continue blockadepublished at 21:15 BST
    Breaking

    President Donald Trump says the US will extend the ceasefire with Iran, at the request of Pakistan, and continue the blockade of Iranian ports.

    Here is his statement on social media:

    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. 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.

  13. Hezbollah says it attacked Israel in response to ceasefire violationspublished at 20:51 BST

    Hezbollah says it has fired rockets at northern Israel in response to ceasefire violations from the Israeli military.

    In a post on Telegram earlier this evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hezbollah had fired several rockets at its forces operating in southern Lebanon.

    Israel's military added that it attacked the launcher from which the rockets were fired.

    Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, says Hezbollah is violating the ceasefire agreement, adding, "We will defend ourselves against those who seek to maim, kill and prevent peace".

  14. Witkoff and Kushner seen at White House as US media reports Vance trip is on holdpublished at 20:26 BST

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    The situation with regards to talks in Islamabad clearly remains very fluid, and very chaotic.

    About 45 minutes ago, special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, were spotted by TV cameras outside entering the White House.

    This is notable. We already know that Vice President JD Vance is holding meetings upstairs. He, along with Witkoff and Kushner, were confirmed earlier this week by the White House as all being on the team headed to Islamabad for any potential talks.

    The defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, was also seen entering the building, as was Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    Both the White House and the vice president's office have been notably silent today, with little in the way of confirmation or any official indication of when that trip will happen, and even if.

    Citing anonymous sources, several US media outlets have reported that the trip is, for now, on hold, although it's unclear if that's a result of a lack of Iranian commitment to attend, or a dispute over terms.

    At 16:00 ET (21:00 GMT), President Trump is expected to speak at an unrelated event in the state dining room of the White House. He may, as he has in the past, deliver a brief update on the Iran situation at the start.

  15. IRGC threatens oil production in Middle East if attack originates from southern neighbourspublished at 20:13 BST

    Iran IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) Aerospace Commander Majid Mousavi has threatened Iran’s southern neighbours in a message published by Iranian outlets today.

    “Iran’s southern neighbours should know that if their lands and facilities are used by enemies to carry out aggression against the Iranian nation, they will have to bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East", he said.

    Mousavi has also said that “if, from this point onwards, the enemy makes the slightest misstep” and attacks Iran, then “wherever you [Iranians] say will become our target".

  16. Tehran has received signs that US is ready to end Iranian port blockage, ambassador sayspublished at 20:05 BST

    Nada Tawfik
    Reporting from New York

    At the United Nations in New York, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani has just told a few of us that Tehran has received some signs that the US is ready to end their blockade.

    He says when that happens, the next round of negotiations will take place in Islamabad.

    I asked him about JD Vance’s trip being “on hold,” but he said he had no information on that and reiterated it was a condition for Iran that the US lifts its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz before any talks can resume.

    He said if the US wants a political solution, they are ready, if they want war then Iran is also ready.

  17. Iran's foreign minister accuses US of breaching ceasefirepublished at 19:57 BST

    Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, says the US blockade of Iranian ports "is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire".

    In a post on X, he says that "striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation" - on Sunday the US intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf as part of its naval blockade, Donald Trump said.

    Araghchi adds that Iran knows "how to defend its interests and how to resists bullying".

    The US and Iran's temporary ceasefire expires on Wednesday, with further peace discussions yet to take place after the first round failed.

    The foreign minister has not specified whether Iran will participate in the next round of talks in Islamabad or not.

  18. Lebanon needs €500m for humanitarian crisis, PM sayspublished at 19:48 BST

    Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is participating in a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron today to discuss the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

    Salam says his country needs €500m "to address the humanitarian crisis over the next six months". The contributions Lebanon has gathered so far only cover a part of its needs, he adds.

    Since hostilities first broke out in March between Israel and the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, world leaders have been warning of a growing humanitarian crisis there.

    According to Lebanon's health ministry, more than 2,200 people have been killed and more than 7,500 injured since the conflict began. UNICEF estimates that over a million Lebanese residents have been displaced.

  19. Iran negotiators work under supreme leader’s ‘direction’ - senior Iranian officialpublished at 19:24 BST

    Ghoncheh Habibiazad
    Senior reporter, BBC Persian

    Elias Hazrati, a senior Iranian government communications official, says Iranian negotiators “make decisions collectively and carry out their duties under the direction” of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

    Since his succession to the position of his father in early March, Mojtaba Khamenei is yet to be seen in public or in recent videos and photos.

    So far, all we’ve seen have been written messages attributed to him on Iranian outlets.

    Based on the written messages, Mojtaba Khamenei has not explicitly mentioned the negotiations, although in some of the messages attributed to him, he has criticised the US.

    In a message attributed to him published on 18 April, Khamenei praised Iran’s army for fighting “two armies at the vanguard of the front of the non-believers and [global] arrogance”, referring to the US and Israel.

    We’re still yet to see whether Iran’s delegates will participate in the talks with the US in Islamabad or not.

  20. Confusion in Washington about Vance's trip to Islamabadpublished at 18:53 BST

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    White House reporter

    It's been another confusing day in Washington, where it remains unclear when - and if - Vice President JD Vance and the rest of the US negotiating team will head to Islamabad for talks with their Iranian counterparts.

    In the last half hour or so, the New York Times reported, citing an anonymous source familar with the situation, that the trip has been postponed after Iran failed to respond to the US negotiating position.

    The BBC has contacted the White House for comment on whether the team is expected is to depart later or whether the trip postponed indefinitely.

    What we can say with certainty, however, is that JD Vance is not on his way, or even at the airport.

    It has been confirmed to multiple news outlets by administration staff that Vance is participating in policy meetings here at the White House. Journalists outside doing TV appearances also spotted his motorcade arriving a short while ago.

    There is also considerable confusion regarding when, exactly, the ceasefire expires. Pakistan and Iran say it ends at midnight tonight, but it's unclear if the US has put a specific time stamp on its expiration - Trump only having said it expires on Wednesday evening.

    It's entirely possible that any official comment that the ceasefire has been extended will come through Truth Social - or when strikes are reported in Iran.