By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN -  Just hours after President Donald J. Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request, Tehran has laid down a firm counter-demand: the U.S. naval blockade must be lifted before any peace talks can begin in Islamabad.

In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the Islamic Republic is prepared to negotiate immediately -- but only after Washington ends its maritime blockade and halts what Tehran describes as “ceasefire violations.”

“Iran is ready for talks once the U.S. lifts the naval blockade,” Iravani said, according to Tasnim. He added that the United States must first cease its alleged violations of the existing ceasefire agreement.

But the ambassador struck a defiant tone, warning that Iran is prepared for both scenarios.

“We are ready for both -- for peace talks and war. Now it is up to the U.S. which front they would like. Do they want peace, or war?”

The Iranian demand directly contradicts the position laid out earlier Tuesday by President Trump, who insisted that the blockade would remain in place until Iran’s fractured leadership produces a unified proposal for discussion.

Trump had framed the blockade as a strategic lever, claiming Iran only pretends to want the Strait of Hormuz closed to “save face” while actually losing $500 million per day due to the U.S. naval lockdown.

Now, Tehran has effectively rejected that framework, making the lifting of the blockade a precondition for even sending a delegation to the second round of talks hosted by Pakistan.

The Iranian response arrives as Pakistan scrambles to keep diplomatic channels open. Earlier Tuesday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar publicly acknowledged that Tehran had not yet confirmed its participation in the Islamabad peace talks, with the original ceasefire deadline having passed at 4:50 a.m. PST.

Despite Trump’s subsequent extension of the ceasefire, Iran’s latest statement suggests that time alone will not bring Tehran to the table -- only a change in U.S. naval posture might.

Iravani’s closing question -- “Do they want peace, or war?” -- encapsulates the high-stakes standoff now facing Washington and its Pakistani intermediaries.

For President Trump, lifting the blockade without a prior commitment from Iran would represent a significant concession, one he has repeatedly rejected. Yet continuing the blockade may prompt Iran to walk away from talks entirely, raising the prospect of a resumption of hostilities.

As of Tuesday evening, no official response had been issued by the White House or the Pentagon to Iran’s latest condition. The extended ceasefire remains technically in place, but with both sides now locked in a public game of diplomatic brinkmanship, whether that pause holds is far from certain.

For now, the ball is back in Washington’s court.