WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said it was unlikely he would extend a two-week ceasefire with Iran if a deal is not reached before it expires this week, according to a Bloomberg report.
Donald Trump said in a phone interview that the Strait of Hormuz would remain blocked until a peace deal is reached.
"They want me to open it. Iran wants it open very badly. I'm not opening it until a deal is signed," he said. Oil prices rose as Washington maintained its blockade and the U.S. Navy seized an Iranian-flagged ship over the weekend.
“I’m not in a rush to make a deal,” Trump said. He said the ceasefire he announced on April 7 was set to expire on Wednesday evening.
When asked if he expected the attacks to resume immediately after that if no deal is reached, Trump said, “If there is no deal, I certainly expect it to happen.”
In a phone conversation with PBS News on Monday morning, Trump said that if the ceasefire with Iran expires "Then many bombs will start exploding."
Translated by Chhouk Bora
