MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. The United States doesn't want to extend the ceasefire with Iran, President Donald Trump said in a live broadcast on CNBC. The US leader said he expects further bombing of Iran.
On April 7, Washington announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with Tehran.
TASS has compiled the key facts about the situation in the region.
US statements
Trump said that the United States is not interested in extending the ceasefire with Iran: "I don't want to do that."
The American leader expects further attacks on Iran: "I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in with. But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go."
Nevertheless, the negotiations between the United States and Iran, Trump believes, will ultimately lead to "a great deal."
Violation of the truce
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov over the phone on Monday that the US had violated the ceasefire, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
Tehran sees US attempts to clear Iran's waters of mines as a violation of the truce, Speaker of the Iranian Majlis (parliament) Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said earlier.
The US military imposed a naval blockade of Iran on April 13, the Central Command of the US Armed Forces (CENTCOM) said.
It said the United States intends to block the movement of all ships heading to or from the ports of the Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, Trump said Iran had violated the ceasefire several times, without adding any details.
The parties' readiness for a new escalation
The Iranian army will "respond appropriately" if the US violates the truce, said Ali Abdollahi, commander of the central headquarters of Khatam al-Anbiya.
Iran is fully prepared for a possible resumption of war with the United States and Israel, if the negotiations in Islamabad do not materialize, Tasnim news agency reported.
According to it, Iran has "a few surprises" up its sleeve before a possible new stage of hostilities.
The United States will not be able hold its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for long, because it is fraught with huge risks for them, Maxim Shepovalenko, deputy director of Russia’s Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said during a discussion at the Valdai International Discussion Club.
Are the parties ready to negotiate?
Iran and the United States have confirmed to Pakistan that they will hold a new round of talks in Islamabad, the Associated Press quoted the local authorities as saying.
The Pakistani government has received confirmation that Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance will come to Islamabad on Wednesday morning.
Earlier, CNN quoted sources as saying that the second round of US-Iranian talks would be held on the morning of April 22.
What Russian foreign minister thinks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes a US-Iran deal that incorporates elements of the 2015 agreements would do both parties a lot of good.
He noted that Russia sees the US making threats on the one hand, and offering assurances on the other, in negotiations with Iran.
Energy market experts chime in
The oil price could hit $150 per barrel if there is a new escalation in the region, said Abdelsamad Malaoui, a professor at Rabat State University and a global energy expert.
The situation around Iran has caused the largest oil crisis in history, Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said on France Inter radio station.
According to him, the crisis will have a particularly strong impact on developing countries. He posited that a lot of jobs will be lost.