Two regional officials said Tuesday that the United States and Iran have signaled they will hold a new round of ceasefire talks in Islamabad as a fragile two-week truce was due to expire. Neither the U.

President Donald Trump said the US Navy fired upon and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after it failed to heed warnings to stop as it left the Strait of Hormuz, the first major encounter in the week-old blockade.

In a sharp escalation of rhetoric ahead of a looming ceasefire deadline, Iran has refused to join the second round of negotiations, accusing Washington of making "excessive demands" and pursuing a contradictory approach while continuing a naval blockade it calls a violation of the truce.

President Trump said Sunday that he would target civilian infrastructure in Iran, including bridges and power plants, if the country did not accept the U.S. peace deal.

With the prospect of talks between the U.S. and Iran still uncertain, President Trump accused Iran of repeatedly violating the cease-fire agreement. “Iran has Violated the Cease Fire numerous times,” he said on Truth Social.

President Donald Trump said it’s “highly unlikely” he will extend the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire if no deal is reached with Iran before Wednesday night, adding “I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal.

The president has rolled out every trick in his entrepreneur’s manual “The Art of the Deal” in trying to create leverage, spin endgame scenarios and force Iran to capitulate. But his round-the-clock avalanche of online outbursts and quotes to reporters who have him on speed dial seem to ignore one of his big rules.

How many times do they expect him to play this game before they reopen the Strait of Hormuz?