'I'm not opening it until a deal is signed,' President Donald Trump said, casting control of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage as the two‑week ceasefire with Iran is set to expire on Wednesday evening Washington time.

Deadline set as negotiators race to finish talks The two‑week truce Mr Trump announced on April 7 will expire on "Wednesday evening Washington time," and he said a further extension is "highly unlikely" unless negotiators reach a deal. "I'm not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We've got all the time in the world," he said in a phone interview, according to participants briefed on the call. The administration is aiming to wrap up negotiations quickly. Iran has signalled mixed intentions about further engagement. Tehran is dispatching a negotiating team for the next round, sources said. Stakes: Hormuz, sanctions and a fragile pact Mr Trump framed control of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. "The Iranians desperately want it opened. I'm not opening it until a deal is signed," he said, placing freedom of navigation and energy flows at the centre of any settlement. The comment makes clear Washington sees the Strait and related sanctions relief as bargaining chips in the diplomatic process. The conflict began in late February after strikes by US and allied forces that targeted Iranian territory, according to accounts of the campaign and diplomatic responses. Those strikes prompted Iranian reprisals against US bases and damage to energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. The military actions and counter‑strikes raised concern across global markets about supply disruption; markets reacted to Mr Trump's comments, with equities trimming recent gains and oil benchmarks rising during the session. Diplomatic choreography and the risk of a breakdown Talks arranged for Pakistan are intended to give both sides room to negotiate without the optics of direct bilateral meetings in Washington or Tehran. Both delegations appear to be testing lines of concession and pressure, with the United States signalling it has time and Iran reiterating a refusal to be coerced. Mr Trump said he would like to attend in person but did not think his presence was necessary. "There's going to be a meeting. They want a meeting, and they should want a meeting. And it can work out well," he said. That emphasis on process suggests the White House is betting negotiators can reach a text acceptable to both capitals without escalating on the battlefield. At the same time, American officials have signalled a willingness to use military pressure if diplomacy stalls. Mr Trump warned Iran would "be hit very hard" if a deal isn't finalised. The combination of threats and incentives narrows the bargaining space and raises the prospect that a missed deadline could snap the current fragile calm. Military hardware and battlefield effects Separately, the US Air Force said it will extend the service life of its A‑10 Thunderbolt II ground‑attack jets until at least 2030, saying the aircraft have proved useful in the war in Iran.

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Mr Trump reiterated it was "highly unlikely" he would extend the ceasefire if negotiators did not reach an agreement.

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