Wednesday 22 / April / 2026
Washington DC: In a day of high-stakes brinkmanship and conflicting signals, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hinted at a "possible" diplomatic breakthrough with Iran, even as maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz threaten to collapse a fragile regional ceasefire.
The President's optimism, delivered via a text message to The New York Post, follows his decision to extend a two-week ceasefire, a move he claims was requested by Pakistan's leadership to give a "seriously fractured" Iranian government time to present a unified proposal.
When asked by The New York Post about the reported breakthrough, Trump responded in a text message: "It's possible! President DJT."
The report further cited sources from Pakistan in Islamabad, who told the publication that they were observing encouraging diplomatic outreach with Iran after Tehran cold-shouldered the second round of talks there, citing security concerns.
According to The New York Post, renewed talks could take place within a timeframe of approximately "36 to 72 hours", citing the Pakistani sources.
"The ceasefire is holding despite heightened rhetoric, indicating positive intent on both sides," the source further said, as quoted by The New York Post.
The statement comes after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the extension of the ceasefire with Iran, citing the need to allow Tehran's leadership more time to formulate a unified proposal for negotiations and further claiming that the Iranian government was "seriously fractured."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision followed concerns over internal divisions within Iran's government and appeals from international stakeholders. He also stated that the US military would remain on alert while maintaining a blockade until further diplomatic progress is made.
"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," his post read.
"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," it added.
The ceasefire extension came following the collapse of the second round of diplomatic talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad as the deadline for the initial two-week ceasefire deal loomed.
However, Trump hasn't specified any particular timeline for this extension.
Trump also claimed that Iran is undergoing a severe financial crisis, asserting that the country is "collapsing financially" as tensions continue to simmer in the region.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Tehran is "starving for cash" and is allegedly "losing 500 Million Dollars a day."
He further stated that the Iranian leadership is under significant internal pressure, with the "Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid."
"Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!" the post read.
However, diplomatic signals from Iran indicate conditions for restarting negotiations. Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani said that Tehran is willing to resume talks only after the United States ends its naval blockade of Iranian ports, which Iran considers a violation of the ceasefire deal.
Citing an interview given by Iravani to Rudlaw News Network at the UN HQ, Tasnim News Agency reported that the Iranian envoy emphasised that for any dialogue to proceed, Washington must first halt its "ceasefire violations".
"The naval blockade of the United States, it is a violation of the ceasefire. And we told them that they should break this blockade. We have received some signs that they are ready to break it. And as soon as they break this blockade, I think that the next round of the negotiation will take place in Istanbul. Listen to them, we have not initiated the military aggression. They initiated the war against us and we are ready. If they want to sit at the table and discuss and find a political solution, they will find us ready. If they want to go to the war, in this case, also Iran is ready for that," Iravani said.
The ambassador's remarks suggest that while a channel for communication may exist, the removal of the blockade remains the primary obstacle to a formal diplomatic process.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) earlier claimed that its naval forces seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that the vessels violated its territorial waters and tried to exit the strategic waterway without authorisation from Tehran.
In a statement as reported by Iranian state media, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the two ships -- identified as "MSC-FRANCESCA" and "EPAMINODES" -- were allegedly involved in violations while transiting the strategic waterway.
The IRGC, in its statement, stated that the vessels were attempting to exit the strait without authorisation, accusing them of repeated infractions, including tampering with navigational aid systems and endangering maritime security.
"In line with the intelligent control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy this morning identified two violating ships named 'MSC-FRANCESCA', belonging to the Zionist regime and the violating vessel 'EPAMINODES', which were attempting to secretly exit the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation by committing repeated violations and tampering with navigational aid systems and jeopardising maritime security," the statement read as quoted by IRIB.
The IRGC Navy further emphasised that it maintains "intelligent control" over the strait and reiterated that any actions deemed to violate Iran's maritime regulations or disrupt safe passage through the waterway would be closely monitored.
This marks a significant escalation in maritime hostilities, highlighting heightened tensions in the region's critical waterways.
Earlier in the day, two incidents of ship attacks were reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), underscoring a sharp spike in maritime security threats in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters.
According to the UKMTO, one incident involved an outbound cargo vessel that was fired upon approximately 8 nautical miles off the coast of Iran, forcing the ship to halt. While the crew was reported safe and no damage was observed, the episode added to growing concerns over vessel safety in the region.
In a separate incident earlier, a container ship located northeast of Oman was approached by an armed boat linked to the IRGC, as per UKMTO, citing "the master of a container ship", who reportedly opened fire and caused significant damage to the vessel's bridge. Despite the severity of the attack, all crew members were confirmed safe, with no casualties or environmental damage reported.
