White House denies U.S. requested Iran ceasefire extension, says next talks 'very likely' in Pakistan

▲ This photo, released by the Associated Press, shows U.S. President Donald Trump speaking to the press outside the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on April 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

US-ceasefire extension

White House denies U.S. requested Iran ceasefire extension, says next talks 'very likely' in Pakistan

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Yonhap) -- The White House denied reports Wednesday that the United States requested an extension of a two-week ceasefire with Iran, set to expire next week, while striking a positive note on the prospects of a deal with the Islamic Republic.

During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said that the next round of peace talks with Tehran will "very likely" take place in Pakistan, as Pakistan is working to facilitate the resumption of the talks after Washington and Tehran failed to reach a deal during their talks in Islamabad over the weekend.

"I saw some reporting, again bad reporting this morning that we had formally requested an extension of the ceasefire. This is not true at this moment," she said.

"We remain very much engaged in these negotiations, in these talks. You heard from the vice president directly, and the president this week that these conversations are productive and ongoing, and that's where we are right now," she added.

She also struck a positive note on the prospects of a deal with Iran.

"We feel good about the prospects of a deal," she said, "The president mentioned that in his interview yesterday, and it's obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the president's demands."

In an interview with Fox News released Wednesday, Trump said that the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is "very close to over," repeating his claim that Iran wants to make a deal "very badly."

Asked about the venue for the next round of talks with Iran, Leavitt said that it is "very likely" to be "the same place" in Pakistan as the previous talks.

"I would just want to make one point that's important to the president. The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process, and we really appreciate their friendship and their efforts to bring this deal to a close," she said.

"So they are the only mediator in this negotiation. While there have been many countries around the world who want to offer their help, the president feels it's important to continue to streamline this communication through the Pakistanis."

With the help of Pakistani mediators, the first round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran took place for 21 hours in Islamabad over the weekend. But the two sides failed to reach an agreement amid differences over the U.S.' call to secure an "affirmative" commitment by Tehran not to seek a nuclear weapon.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved