A ceasefire between Iran and the United States is set to expire next week, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and recent threats by Iran have jeopardized the agreement, which was concluded only a week ago. Representatives of Middle Eastern countries indicated today, however, that they have made progress, emphasizing that the United States and Iran have agreed to an "agreement in principle" to extend the ceasefire to allow for further talks.
Before the April 22 deadline for the ceasefire expires, the mediators are pushing for compromise on three major issues that have stalled direct talks last weekend. They concern Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and reparations for damage caused by the fighting, said one of the regional representatives involved in the mediation efforts.
World leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said yesterday that a new round of talks was likely in the coming days.
"I think they (Iran) are very keen to make a deal. "I think we're very close to the final stage," Trump said in an excerpt from an interview with Fox Business Network that aired this morning.
A US official said that new talks with Iran were still being discussed and that nothing was planned at this stage.
Another senior US official said that there was no formal agreement from the US to extend the ceasefire, but that talks between Washington and Tehran were continuing to reach an agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said that the claims that the ceasefire had been extended had not yet been confirmed.
Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told the AP that "Pakistani leaders have not given up." to continue to help the US and Iran end the conflict in the Middle East.