Report: U.S. official says Trump ready to give Iranians another 3-5 days to regroup
'This is not going to be an indefinite ceasefire'
U.S. President Donald Trump has given the Iranians three to five days to arrive to a settled position to offer to Washington until the ceasefire expires, Axios reported Wednesday, citing three U.S. officials.
“Trump is willing to give another three to five days of ceasefire to allow the Iranians to get their shit together. It is not going to be open-ended,” a U.S. official familiar with the discussions was quoted as saying, adding "this is not going to be an indefinite ceasefire."
The Trump admin is concerned that the divides in Tehran between the Islamic Revolutionary Guards and the political echelon means there is not a single power center that has the legitimacy to sign off on an agreement, according to the report.
On Tuesday Trump has extended the ceasefire with Iran; yet the diplomatic gesture was paired with a stern warning that the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain in place, a condition the president framed as non-negotiable.
Trump stated that the U.S. military remains "raring to go" if a deal is not reached. He emphasized the economic toll of the maritime siege, claiming the Iranian regime is "losing half a billion dollars a day" and that the waterway will not reopen "unless what remains of the country is wiped out, including its leaders.