US-Iran ceasefire likely to be extended, says former CENTCOM chief

Washington: The ceasefire between the US and Iran is expected to be extended beyond the initial two-week period, as both sides are willing to continue negotiations, former Central Command chief David H Petraeus has said.

The ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Wednesday.

Petraeus, the former general who also served as CIA director, said that there is a “reasonable expectation” that the ceasefire could be prolonged as negotiators from both sides prepare for a possible second round of talks in Islamabad, although uncertainty remains over final participation.

“I think both the US and Iran want to extend the ceasefire,” he told PTI Videos in an interview on Monday.

His comments came amid US media reports that Vice President J D Vance is likely to travel to Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks with Iran to end the seven-week war. On the other hand, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that his country has yet to decide whether to attend the next round of talks with the US.

Petraeus warned that the situation on the ground remains volatile, with both the US and Iran enforcing rival blockades in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, effectively halting maritime traffic.

"There may be use of force, as required for the US to implement the blockade that has been required in response to Iran's blockade. There have been occasional attacks also that appear to have come from Iran, individual attacks that have seemed to threaten or force ships to turn around that were trying to go through the Strait," he said.

The former CIA director said the US military campaign aims, among other objectives, to “break Iran’s grip” on the Strait of Hormuz and ensure unrestricted international transit through the waterway.

Outlining two key American "negotiating objectives", Petraeus said, "One is to restore freedom of navigation to the Gulf and to the Strait of Hormuz without any control by Iran or tariffs or tolls paid to Iran." "And the second is that Iran renounces its right to enrich uranium and allows the International Atomic Energy Agency or some other body to verify the removal of the stockpile of nearly 1,000 pounds of 60 per cent enriched uranium," he added.

Iran, however, has so far resisted calls to halt its uranium enrichment.

On the military front, Petraeus described the US-led campaign, carried out alongside Israeli forces, as “impressive” in degrading Iran’s air defences, missile systems and military infrastructure.

However, he said the overall outcome of the conflict remains “incomplete”.

Despite tactical successes, Petraeus warned that failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to free navigation could leave Iran “strategically somewhat strengthened” even if militarily weakened.

On future scenarios, he said options remain open, including resumption of intensive air operations or deployment of ground forces, though "large-scale offensives to topple the regime or something like that" are unlikely.

Petraeus, who served as the commander of CENTCOM from 2008-2010, also indicated that the US had prior knowledge of Israel’s intent to strike Iran, driven by concerns over Tehran’s evolving missile capabilities.

“The US was aware Israel would attack Iran amid missile threat concerns,” he said.

The US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.

In the last round of talks on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad, the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end the war.