Two-Week Ceasefire Enters Final Countdown, US and Iran Threaten War Preparedness
As a two-week ceasefire approaches its end, both the US and Iran have warned they are ready for war. While the US attempts to restart negotiations in Pakistan, the situation remains uncertain as Iran accuses the US of violating the ceasefire.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 10:50
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 11:01 (11 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 22:49 (179h 47m after Collected)
US-Iran War Key News
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Tehran, 20th) The United States and Iran today warned they were ready for war. As a two-week ceasefire enters its final countdown, a negotiation effort previously announced by U.S. President Donald Trump to be restarted in Pakistan remains fraught with uncertainty.
Agence France-Presse reported that the White House stated Vice President JD Vance was prepared to fly to Islamabad, Pakistan's capital. Signs of preparation for a second round of talks to end the Middle East war and stabilize global markets were already visible there.
However, the Iranian clerical government refused to confirm its participation in the talks, accusing the U.S. of violating the ceasefire agreement by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports and seizing a vessel.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led a delegation to Pakistan for talks two weeks ago, stated: "Trump, by blocking and violating the ceasefire, intends to turn this negotiating table into a table of surrender, or use it as an excuse to restart hostilities at will."
He posted on social media platform X: "We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats. These two weeks, we have prepared to play a new hand on the battlefield."
Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, China Customs
Trump also accused Iran of harassing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, violating the ceasefire agreement. The Strait of Hormuz is a transit route for one-fifth of the world's oil, and Iran has almost completely blocked this waterway in retaliation since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks.
Trump issued a series of posts on his social media platform "Truth Social," emphasizing that the U.S. port blockade was "completely destroying" Iran.
And as the U.S. pressures Iran to make concessions on nuclear issues, Trump also stated that the blockade on Iranian ports would only be lifted if the U.S. and Iran reached an "agreement."
Trump told PBS that Iran "should be present" at the talks in Pakistan, "we both agreed to be there," and warned that once the ceasefire expires, "there will be a lot of bombs dropping."
He also told Bloomberg News that it was "highly unlikely" he would extend the two-week ceasefire agreement.
Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7th, clearly stating its expiration time. However, based on the starting time, the ceasefire theoretically expires late on the 21st Tehran time; but Trump told Bloomberg that the deadline would be one day later, 8 PM EST on the 22nd.
Reuters reported that a Pakistani source involved in the negotiations said the ceasefire would expire at 8 PM EST on the 22nd, equivalent to 00:00 UTC on the 22nd, or 3:30 AM Tehran time on the 23rd. (Translator: Tsai Chia-min) 1150421
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Tehran, 20th) The United States and Iran today warned they were ready for war. As a two-week ceasefire enters its final countdown, a negotiation effort previously announced by U.S. President Donald Trump to be restarted in Pakistan remains fraught with uncertainty.
Agence France-Presse reported that the White House stated Vice President JD Vance was prepared to fly to Islamabad, Pakistan's capital. Signs of preparation for a second round of talks to end the Middle East war and stabilize global markets were already visible there.
However, the Iranian clerical government refused to confirm its participation in the talks, accusing the U.S. of violating the ceasefire agreement by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports and seizing a vessel.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led a delegation to Pakistan for talks two weeks ago, stated: "Trump, by blocking and violating the ceasefire, intends to turn this negotiating table into a table of surrender, or use it as an excuse to restart hostilities at will."
He posted on social media platform X: "We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats. These two weeks, we have prepared to play a new hand on the battlefield."
Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, China Customs
Trump also accused Iran of harassing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, violating the ceasefire agreement. The Strait of Hormuz is a transit route for one-fifth of the world's oil, and Iran has almost completely blocked this waterway in retaliation since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks.
Trump issued a series of posts on his social media platform "Truth Social," emphasizing that the U.S. port blockade was "completely destroying" Iran.
And as the U.S. pressures Iran to make concessions on nuclear issues, Trump also stated that the blockade on Iranian ports would only be lifted if the U.S. and Iran reached an "agreement."
Trump told PBS that Iran "should be present" at the talks in Pakistan, "we both agreed to be there," and warned that once the ceasefire expires, "there will be a lot of bombs dropping."
He also told Bloomberg News that it was "highly unlikely" he would extend the two-week ceasefire agreement.
Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7th, clearly stating its expiration time. However, based on the starting time, the ceasefire theoretically expires late on the 21st Tehran time; but Trump told Bloomberg that the deadline would be one day later, 8 PM EST on the 22nd.
Reuters reported that a Pakistani source involved in the negotiations said the ceasefire would expire at 8 PM EST on the 22nd, equivalent to 00:00 UTC on the 22nd, or 3:30 AM Tehran time on the 23rd. (Translator: Tsai Chia-min) 1150421
Choose to stand with the facts. Your every sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to get the latest news in real time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.