Tehran, Apr 22 (UNI) Iran reacted with scepticism to US President Donald Trump's unilateral declaration of ceasefire extension, describing it as a ploy, and said Tehran never asked for it.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had not requested ceasefire extension or new negotiations under the "shadow of threats."
Araghchi condemned the ongoing US naval blockade of Iranian ports as an "act of war" and a violation of existing ceasefire principles, saying "Iran knows how to resist bullying."
Mahdi Mohammadi, Senior Adviser to Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, dismissed the ceasefire extension, stating it "means nothing" and has "no real value" from Iran’s perspective.
He characterised the move as a tactic to gain time for a "surprise strike" and argued that a side facing such pressure cannot set the terms.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, emphasised that ending the naval blockade remains a non-negotiable condition for Iran to rejoin any formal peace talks in Islamabad.
Iran’s semi-official MEHR News Agency (MNA), affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Iran has not asked for an extension of ceasefire. It repeated threats to break the US blockade by force.
The declaration of ceasefire extension follows a series of high-stakes events in the war. Despite the pause in strikes, Trump directed the US military to maintain the Naval blockade which remains the primary point of contention for Tehran.
Trump claimed the extension was partly due to the Iranian government being "seriously fractured," a narrative Iranian officials have dismissed while maintaining their own "10-point plan" for permanent peace.
MNA said President Trump, who in recent days had repeatedly claimed he would not extend the ceasefire with Iran, announced the extension of the ceasefire unilaterally.
It said Trump was forced to unilaterally announce the ceasefire extension, despite having previously openly emphasised that he would not extend the ceasefire under any circumstances and that Iran must participate in the Islamabad talks.
Trump had announced on Tuesday that US representatives were heading to Pakistan for negotiations, and that if Iran does not agree, war would resume.
However, Iranian officials maintained silence, announcing no official position regarding participating or not participating in the negotiations. They emphasised that the US has violated the ceasefire.
Another semi-official news agency, Tasnim, quoting unidentified officials, also said Iran had not requested extension of the ceasefire, and Trump's announcement could have several meanings:
'The first meaning is that Trump has lost the war. He has tested and implemented all possible scenarios during the war.'
It said Trump knows he will achieve nothing through war, so he considers exiting the war as the best possible way for himself. Even if he continues the war, he will not achieve anything.
Tasnim said that although the war has no achievement for the US, Trump may do everything, including deception through every possible means, among them the extension of the ceasefire.
Trump may claim to extend the ceasefire, but then the same administration of the US or Israel may carry out 'terrorist moves,' it said, adding that Iran does not underestimate such a scenario and is closely monitoring such a possibility.
It said the US will withdraw from the war and Israel will remain in this war under the pretext of violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon.
However, Americans have previously been warned that the US cannot unilaterally escape from the war and keep Israel in the fight.
Continued naval blockade means continuation of hostilities. Iran will not open the Strait of Hormuz at least as long as the naval blockade remains in place, and will break the blockade by force if necessary.
It said the US seeks to keep the shadow of war over Iran and keep Iran’s economy and politics in suspension.
'The United States believes that the situation in Iran is the same as the situation after the 12-day war. However, the current period has a fundamental difference, and that is Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. If America wants to maintain the shadow of war, it should know that the Strait of Hormuz will remain completely closed,' Tasnim said quoting unidentified officials.
UNI RB 1004