Trump Extends U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Amid Leadership Uncertainty in Tehran

President Donald Trump has granted a short-term extension to the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, a move Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif credited with keeping diplomatic channels open. The extension, estimated to last between three and five days, comes as Pakistani officials lead mediation efforts to secure a unified proposal from Tehran. U.S. officials indicated that the decision was influenced by reported fractures within the Iranian leadership and logistical difficulties in communicating with the injured Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Despite the pause in direct hostilities, regional tensions remain high. The U.S. has intensified economic pressure on Baghdad, suspending military cooperation and U.S. dollar shipments to Iraq to force a crackdown on Iran-aligned militias. While the Iraqi Central Bank has denied any currency shortage, the State Department maintains the freeze is necessary due to Iraq's failure to secure its borders and curb proxy attacks. Global energy markets have reacted sharply to the ongoing uncertainty. Brent crude prices spiked to $100 per barrel before retreating, driven by the continued mutual blockades in the Strait of Hormuz. While an advisor to the Iranian negotiating team dismissed the ceasefire extension as 'meaningless,' officials in Islamabad suggest that more formal talks could materialize within the next 36 to 72 hours.