‘Agreed to everything’ to ’48-hour warning’: Donald Trump shifts tone on Iran as ceasefire extended

Trump has continued to say the US is “winning” the conflict and pointed to what he described as heavy losses for Iran’s military and economy.

3 min readApr 22, 2026 12:29 PM IST First published on: Apr 22, 2026 at 12:11 PM IST
Donald Trump, Iran WarUS President Donald Trump at an event in the State Dining Room of the White House on Tuesday (AP Photo)

US President Donald Trump has delivered shifting messages on the Iran war over the past 48 hours, moving between optimism about a deal, warnings of military action, and changes in ceasefire plans.

In different statements, he suggested Iran had “agreed to everything” but also warned that without a deal, the “whole country” could face serious consequences. The back-and-forth has made it difficult to identify a single clear position.

What exactly Trump said?

In an interview with CNBC, Trump said the United States was in a strong position and expected to “end up with a great deal”. He added that Iran had “no choice” but to accept US demands.

Soon after, he set a roughly 48-hour deadline for Iran to agree to terms such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He warned of “severe” consequences if this did not happen and said the US could be “bombing” if talks failed.

Ceasefire extended after shift

Despite earlier indications that the ceasefire would not continue, Trump later announced an extension of the truce. He said the decision followed requests from Pakistan’s leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

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According to Trump, the ceasefire will remain until Iran presents a “unified proposal” for talks. He also said the US naval blockade would continue and that forces remain ready.

Claims on war and violations

Donald Trump said Iran wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened despite publicly calling for its closure, linking the issue to ongoing negotiations.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran was losing significant revenue due to the blockade. “Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 million a day,” he wrote, adding that Tehran’s public stance was aimed at “saving face”.

Donald Trump
(Photo: @realDonaldTrump)

Trump has continued to say the US is “winning” the conflict and pointed to what he described as heavy losses for Iran’s military and economy, including claims that the blockade is costing Iran $500 million a day. He also accused Iran of violating the ceasefire multiple times, even as he kept open the possibility of negotiations.

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