(2nd LD) Trump has not set deadline to receive 'unified' proposal from Iran: White House

▲ This photo, released by EPA, shows U.S. President Donald Trump speaking in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

▲ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to the media outside the White House in Washington on April 22, 2026, in this photo released by EPA. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) Trump-Iran negotiation

(2nd LD) Trump has not set deadline to receive 'unified' proposal from Iran: White House

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 11-12)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has not set a firm deadline for Iran to submit a "unified" peace proposal, the White House said Wednesday, dismissing a report that he has given Iran three to five days to provide its coherent response.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the remarks during a press availability, stressing that the president is "generously" offering "a bit of flexibility" to get a proposal from Iran, a country that she said grapples with "a lot of internal division."

"The president has not set a firm deadline to receive an Iranian proposal, unlike some of the reporting I've seen today," she said. "Ultimately, the timeline will be dictated by the commander-in-chief."

On the eve of the ceasefire deadline set for Wednesday (Washington time), Trump said that at the request of Pakistan, he will extend the ceasefire until Iran submits a unified proposal, and bilateral discussions are "concluded, one way or the other." He called the Tehran government "seriously fractured."

Trump's extension of the ceasefire was initially viewed by some as an indefinite one, but Axios reported, citing three U.S. officials, that the president is giving Iran a short window of several days to present its proposal to the United States.

Leavitt took note of internal division in Iran that has made it difficult for Tehran to put forward an integrated proposal.

"There is obviously a lot of internal division," she said. "This is a battle between the pragmatists and the hard-liners in Iran right now, and the president wants a unified response."

As the U.S. awaits an Iranian proposal, "Operation Economic Fury" as well as a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels continue, she pointed out, referring to the Trump administration's campaign to put economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.

"We are completely strangling their economy through this blockade. They are losing US$500 million a day. The Kharg Island is completely full. They can't move oil in and out," she said, referring to Iran's crucial oil export hub.

"They can't even pay their own people as a result of this economic leverage that President Trump has inflicted over them. So he's satisfied with that."

Trump's ceasefire extension came as he faces growing pressure ahead of the May 1 deadline to secure congressional authorization for the war.

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the president is required to end the unauthorized use of U.S. armed forces within 60 days of notifying Congress, unless lawmakers grant approval. The 60-day period expires on May 1, as Trump had notified Congress of the military operation on March 2.

Earlier in the day, Trump said that a new round of peace talks with Iran is "possible" within the next 36 to 72 hours.

The New York Post reported that sources in Pakistan touted positive mediation efforts with Tehran, renewing the possibility of additional negotiations within the next 36 to 72 hours, and that Trump said in a text message, "It's possible! President DJT." DJT is short for Trump's full name.

On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance put his trip to Pakistan for a second round of talks with Iran on hold, as Iran did not respond to American demands, according to The New York Times. The U.S. delegation includes Vance, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Washington and Tehran held the first round of negotiations in the Pakistani capital on April 11 and 12. But the talks ended without a deal as the two sides failed to reconcile differences, including over a U.S. demand for Iran to make an "affirmative" commitment not to seek a nuclear weapon.

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