Washington: The White House has denied reports that the United States formally requested an extension of the ceasefire with Iran, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling such claims “not true” and emphasising that negotiations remain productive and ongoing.
“You heard from the Vice President and the President this week that these conversations are productive and ongoing, and that’s where we are right now…We feel good about the prospects of a deal. The President mentioned that in his interview yesterday. It is in the best interest of Iran to meet the President’s demands. I think he’s made his red lines in these negotiations very clear to the other side. We are continuing to see how these conversations go,” she told a press briefing.
When asked about the venue for the upcoming talks, Leavitt said the discussions would “very likely” be held at the same location as the previous round. She added that Pakistan is the “only mediator” in the negotiations, even though many countries around the world have offered to help.
Her comments followed the collapse of talks held last weekend, which ended without an agreement to halt the war that President Donald Trump began in coordination with Israel on February 28, prompting Iranian strikes on Iran’s Gulf neighbours and reviving clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The war has led Iran to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global route for crude and gas shipments—to all vessels other than its own, drastically reducing exports from the Gulf, especially to Asia and Europe, and compelling energy importers to urgently seek alternative sources of supply.
