President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire on Wednesday, at the request of Pakistani authorities. This move came just hours after he threatened renewed bombing, telling CNBC, 'I expect to be bombing.'
Trump's Reversal on Ceasefire Extension
Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir had asked him to delay bombing plans. He attributed the decision to 'the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured.' Trump added, '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.'
The president emphasized that the American naval blockade on Iran's ports would remain in place during the ceasefire extension, 'until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.'
Earlier Threats and Negotiations
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump told CNBC's Squawk Box that he did not want to extend the ceasefire. 'I don't want to do that. We don't have that much time,' he said, adding, 'I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in with. But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.'
He had also told Bloomberg News that an extension was 'highly unlikely' without a full agreement to end the nearly two-month-old conflict he initiated on February 28. However, negotiations in Islamabad never materialized, as the U.S. team led by Vice President JD Vance did not depart, and Vance remained at the White House for policy meetings.
Iranian negotiators refused to participate unless Trump lifted the naval blockade. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called the blockade an 'act of war' and a violation of the ceasefire, stating on X, 'Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying.'
The TACO Pattern
This latest reversal has drawn criticism, with detractors using the acronym TACO ('Trump Always Chickens Out') to describe his pattern of making aggressive threats only to walk them back. The term, coined by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong, gained traction after Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariff rollout in April, which caused market turmoil before a 90-day pause led to a rebound.
Trump's ceasefire extension mirrors his April 7 announcement of a ceasefire hours before a self-imposed deadline to bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure. Days earlier, he had declared 'Power Plant Day' and 'Bridge Day' for U.S. forces, threatening Iran with destruction unless they complied. He later warned that Iran's 'entire civilization' would 'die tonight, never to be brought back again,' implying genocide.
The president's latest move underscores the volatile nature of his second term, marked by rapid policy shifts that have become a hallmark of his leadership.
