Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington D.C., April 18, 2026 (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

EA on International Outlets: Iran Tightens Its Control of Strait of Hormuz

US-Israel War, Day 54: Trump Extends Ceasefire After Iran Rejects Talks With US in Pakistan

UPDATE 0615 GMT:

The Trump Administration has halted US dollar shipments to Iraq and frozen security cooperation programs with the Iraqi military.

The Trump camp is pressing Baghdad to dismantle Iranian-backed militias, even though some have been integrated into the Iraqi military.

The US Treasury recently blocked a delivery of nearly $500 million from Iraqi oil sales. The banknotes are in accounts at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The Trumpists informed Iraqi officials that they are halting some counter-terrorism and military training programs.

UPDATE 0604 GMT:

Amid a 10-day ceasefire, one person has been killed and two wounded in an overnight Israeli drone strike overnight on the outskirts of al-Jbour in Lebanon’s western Bekaa Valley.

UPDATE 0601 GMT:

A gunboat of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has struck a container ship off the coast of Oman.

The shots “caused heavy damage to the bridge”, but all crew are safe, reported the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.

UPDATE 0556 GMT:

Just before midnight in Washington, Donald Trump tried to cover up his U-turn on a ceasefire.

He rambled on social media:

Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!

In an earlier post, he claimed:

People approached me four days ago, saying, “Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.” But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!

UPDATE 0551 GMT:

Shares are mixed in early trading across Asia, but the rise in oil prices has stopped after Donald Trump unilaterally extended a temporary ceasefire.

The price of Brent crude edged 0.2% lower after surging above $98 per barrel on Tuesday. US benchmark crude fell 0.4% to $89.29.

The International Monetary Fund forecast on Tuesday that global inflation will rise to 4.4% from 4.1% in 2025. The IMF had earlier projected a drop to 3.8%.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Donald Trump has unilaterally extended a temporary ceasefire in the US-Israel War, after Iran rejected the second set of talks with American officials in Islamabad.

After 72 hours of uncertainty, Tehran confirmed that it would not attend the discussions. Iran maintained its call for a lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports and halt to interception of vessels, maintaining that they violate the initial two-week ceasefire.

Trump had said on Tuesday morning that he did not want to extend the ceasefire, “We don’t have that much time.” He insisted that he would “end up with a great deal”; however, the US military was “raring to go”: “I expect to be bombing ‘cause that would be a better attitude.”

But in the afternoon, the reality TV star posted on social media that he was extending the ceasefire, at Pakistan’s request. He tried to save face by claiming, “The Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so.”

The US would halt attacks “until such time as [Iranian] leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal” and “discussions are concluded”. The American blockade would be maintained.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who would have led Tehran’s delegation to Islamabad, claimed that Trump’s U-turn was “a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike”. He chest-thumped, “The time for Iran to take the initiative has come.”

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif maintained his flattery of Trump, thanking the American as he said, “Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of conflict.”

After the Trump camp decided to continue the blockade, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted that the US still had the upper hand, He targeted Kharg Island in the northern Persian Gulf, where more than 90% of Iranian oil exports pass.