The US and Iran are considering extending the ceasefire for another two weeks — Bloomberg
It is said that neither Iran nor the United States wants to restart military actions.
The US and Iran are considering extending the temporary ceasefire, which expires on April 21, by another two weeks to hold negotiations on a peace agreement, reports Bloomberg.
The agency, citing a source it spoke with, says that mediators between the US and Iran are trying to organize technical negotiations to resolve the most contentious issues, specifically the resumption of ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the issue of Iran's uranium enrichment.
One US official told Bloomberg there is no guarantee of extending the ceasefire. According to him, Washington has not yet agreed to this. Iran's Foreign Ministry did not respond when asked for comment on the situation.
Another source familiar with the negotiation process indicated that neither Iran nor the US wants military actions to resume.
The US and Iran had reached an agreement on a temporary two-week ceasefire starting April 8. After that, the parties held talks in Islamabad but failed to reach an agreement to end the war.
As The New York Times previously reported, in the negotiations, the US demanded that Iran not enrich uranium for 20 years, while Tehran proposed a 5-year term. Another key topic of the negotiations was the reopening of maritime shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Typically, one-fifth of the world's oil shipments pass through this strait. However, the main point of disagreement remains the issue of Iran abandoning its nuclear program.
Citing sources, Pakistan's Geo TV channel reported that the second round of talks between the US and Iran could take place in Islamabad next weekend, the week ending April 26.
US President Donald Trump said on April 14 that the war that began on February 28 is "nearing its end."
