Washington has not yet “formally agreed” to extend the Iran ceasefire, but diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement between the US and Iran continue, a senior US official has said.
“The United States has not formally agreed to an extension of the ceasefire. There is continued engagement between the US and Iran to reach a deal,” the official told Anadolu on Wednesday.
Talks were held in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, over the weekend to try to permanently end the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28, but no agreement was reached during the marathon negotiations.
They were held after Pakistan secured a two-week ceasefire on April 8. That agreement is set to expire next week.
Two US officials told the Axios news website that Washington and Tehran moved closer to reaching a deal to permanently end the war on Tuesday, inching towards a framework that would do so under mediation from Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye.
Pushing with both sides
A Pakistani delegation led by Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to try to narrow remaining differences. "Lets wait and see if we can get a deal. We are hopeful and accordingly trying to push with both sides," a Pakistani official told Axios.
Munir and US President Donald Trump share warm ties, and Trump has repeatedly praised Munir's efforts.
An anonymous US official told Axios that Trump's negotiating team - Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner - made calls and exchanged drafts with Iranian officials and mediators on Tuesday.
"They were on the phone and backchanneling with all the countries and they are getting closer," the official said.
Another official said the US wants "to make a deal," and said "parts of their government want to make a deal. Now the trick is to get the whole of government over there to make the deal."
A US official and another source familiar said that if a framework agreement is reached, the ceasefire would need to be extended so that the details of a final agreement can be negotiated.
"The details are complicated — you can't do that in two days," a US official said.
