Donald Trump has been left waiting by the phone in his attempts to bring an end to the deeply unpopular war in Iran.
“In recent days, the United States has sent Iran a list of broad points that they wanted them to agree to in advance of the next round of talks,” CNN’s Kaitlin Collins said Tuesday night, citing sources with knowledge of the situation.
“But days went by without getting a response, raising questions and suspicions about whether or not much could be achieved in person,” she added.
The White House had embarked on a frantic scramble to prepare for negotiations with Iranian officials ahead of the two-week ceasefire ending on Tuesday night.
Vice President JD Vance spent much of the day waiting to depart for the talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, only for Iran to pull out at the last minute.
“Officials had urged the top mediator from Pakistan to get at least some kind of response from Iran before the vice president boarded his flight, but still, hours later, an official tells me there was nothing,” Collins said.
Trump then announced an indefinite extension to the ceasefire, and has resolved to hold off on further strikes until Iran presents a “concrete offer” for lasting peace, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Islamic Republic has since resumed hostilities. It seized three ships on Wednesday after attacking two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital naval corridor that transports roughly a fifth of global oil supplies. Officials said the boats will now be detained while their documents and cargo are examined.
The vessels are understood to be Panama-flagged Euphoria and MSC Francesca, as well as Epaminondas, which is flying under the Liberian flag.
Trump claimed in a barrage of Truth Social posts on Tuesday night that Iran only wants the Strait closed because U.S. forces have it blockaded.
“Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day,” the president posted.
“People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately,’” Trump continued. “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!”
The initial ceasefire aimed to reopen trade through the waterway, which Iran has effectively shuttered since Trump launched the conflict on February 28.
It remains unclear how the White House will respond to Iran’s latest attack.
The president has proven increasingly eager to bring the conflict to a swift conclusion. The war is deeply unpopular among voters, with two-thirds disapproving of his handling of the crisis.
Those numbers come as Trump’s approval ratings hover at a meager 37 percent, and just months before this year’s crucial midterm elections. Democrats currently hold an almost six-point lead ahead of November’s battle for control of the House and Senate.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment on this story.
