President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday that there is no set schedule for ending the ongoing standoff with Iran, making clear that his administration is not operating under any deadline as it maintains a ceasefire and continues economic pressure through a naval blockade.

In an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News, Trump emphasized that both the conflict and diplomatic efforts are proceeding without urgency. He said there is “no time frame” for the war and reiterated that there is likewise “no time pressure” tied to the ceasefire he extended Tuesday or to any potential negotiations.

Responding to questions about when hostilities might conclude, Trump repeated that there is “no time frame” and stressed that the administration is not rushing toward a resolution. He pushed back against political speculation, stating, “People say I want to get it over because of the midterms, not true,” Trump said, adding that the administration wanted to “get a good deal for the American people.”

Even as the ceasefire remains in place, Trump confirmed that the United States will continue enforcing its maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports. He did not outline any timeline for when those restrictions might be lifted.

A day earlier, Trump announced that the temporary ceasefire would be extended without a defined endpoint. At the time, he described Iran’s leadership as “seriously fractured” and said the country must “come up with a unified proposal” before meaningful progress can be made.

Trump later suggested that a diplomatic breakthrough would depend on continued pressure, including the possibility of renewed military action if the blockade were lifted prematurely. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day (which is, therefore, what they are losing if it is closed!). They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to ‘save face,’”

He continued in the same post: “People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.’ But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”

Statements from the White House echoed the president’s position. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that no deadline has been imposed on Iran to present terms for ending the conflict.

She explained that divisions within Iran are complicating the situation, saying, “There’s obviously a lot of internal division [in Iran]. This is a battle between the pragmatists and the hardliners in Iran right now, and the President wants a unified response. And so as we await that response, there’s a ceasefire with the military and kinetic strikes, but Operation Economic Fury continues,” she stressed, “and the effective and successful naval blockade continues as well of ships and vessels that are moving to and from Iranian ports. We are completely strangling their economy through this blockade. They’re losing $500 million a day.”

Leavitt underscored that the timeline remains entirely in the president’s hands, adding, “The President has not set a firm deadline to receive an Iranian proposal, unlike some of the reporting I’ve seen today. Ultimately, the timeline will be dictated by the commander-in-chief and the president of the United States.”

She also cautioned against relying on public messaging from Tehran, noting, “We all see a lot of different messaging and rhetoric coming out of Iran – and I would caution you against taking anything they say at face value. What they say publicly is much different than what they concede to the US and our negotiating team privately.”

According to Leavitt, the decision to prolong the ceasefire reflects Washington’s expectation that Iran must take the next step. “chose to extend the ceasefire because it’s Iran who needs to get their act together. The United States and President Trump have been very clear in our demands, and our red lines, and what we need to see…from the very beginning.”

Earlier in the day, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran had agreed to the U.S. request for a ceasefire but has not yet determined whether it will enter formal negotiations.

At the same time, tensions remain high in the region, with Iran reportedly launching three separate attacks on vessels traveling south through the Strait of Hormuz.

{Matzav.com}