Coordination for renewed talks to end the conflict between the United States and Iran is proving difficult. President Trump has warned that if no agreement is reached by the ceasefire deadline on the 22nd, hostilities will resume. Bloomberg News, which interviewed President Trump on the 20th, reported that Trump indicated the ceasefire deadline is the afternoon of the 22nd Eastern Time, and that if no agreement is reached, fighting will resume. The possibility of extending the ceasefire period is said to be “extremely low.” The ceasefire deadline has effectively been extended by one day. According to the news site Axios, Vice President Vance, who led the U.S. delegation in the previous talks, is scheduled to depart for Pakistan by the morning of the 21st. Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf criticized on social media on the 21st, saying, “Trump has tried to turn the negotiating table into a place of surrender by violating the ceasefire agreement,” and expressed a negative view on participating in renewed talks, stating, “We will not accept negotiations under threats.” The U.S. military has imposed a maritime blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports, and on the 19th, it seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
