Last-minute efforts to extend the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran are in serious doubt, with the current truce set to expire Wednesday and both sides signaling they are prepared to resume fighting if no deal is reached.

Vice President JD Vance has postponed a planned trip to Pakistan, where talks were expected to take place, while Iran says it has not yet decided whether it will participate, citing what it calls “unacceptable actions” by the U.S.—including the ongoing naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Behind the scenes, Pakistani officials are scrambling to salvage negotiations, working intensively to bring both sides back to the table for another round of talks.

At the White House, senior officials including special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are holding urgent consultations on next steps. Officials caution that President Donald Trump could shift strategy at any moment, with options ranging from renewed diplomacy to military action.

Israeli officials are increasingly skeptical a deal will be reached, warning that Iran appears to be stalling. A senior security source says Israel and the U.S. are fully aligned and ready to resume operations immediately if talks collapse.

Both sides have already been preparing for that possibility, including joint military exercises and finalized strike plans targeting Iran’s infrastructure.

Iran, meanwhile, is demanding the U.S. lift its blockade and release a seized Iranian-flagged vessel and crew as a condition for talks, accusing Washington of escalating tensions instead of resolving them.

Iran’s foreign minister called the blockade “an act of war,” warning that Tehran “knows how to defend its interests.”

With the ceasefire clock ticking down, the region is bracing for either a last-minute breakthrough—or a rapid return to conflict.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)