US, Iran 'getting closer' to peace? What we know so far as Gulf ceasefire nears end

The US and Iran are reportedly "getting closer" to agreeing on a framework to end the war in the Gulf, as the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues, which risks resuming the war.

Aided by mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, negotiators from both sides have been rushing to fill in the gaps that led to the failure of the first round of peace talks in Islamabad, before the ceasefire expires on April 22.

Despite US officials saying that a US-Iran deal was not likely due to the significant differences between the two nations, a US official on Wednesday told Axios that the two sides were "getting closer" to a deal.

"We want to make a deal. And parts of their government want to make a deal. Now the trick is to get the whole of (their) government over there to make the deal," another US official said in the report.

This comes amid a Bloomberg report citing a source in the know, who claimed that the two sides were mulling a two-week extension to the fragile ceasefire.

The extension was aimed at giving the negotiators more time to address the main disagreements between the two sides: the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme.

However, in a major twist, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected reports claiming that the US side had sought an extension to the ceasefire, calling it "bad reporting".

"We feel good about the prospects of a deal... and it's obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the President's demands," she added.

While Trump has also claimed that major developments in the war would take place over the next few days and that it was "very close to over", the strain in the ceasefire continues to remain a concern.

Iran has repeatedly warned the US of the naval blockade risking a resumption of the war, and reiterated on Wednesday that stopping Israeli attacks on Lebanon was still a key demand raised in the peace talks.

However, Tehran also said later on Wednesday that a decision on further negotiations with the US would be made after a meeting between a Pakistani delegation led by its military chief, Asim Munir, and Iranian officials, a Tasnim report said, citing officials.

Despite Tehran not projecting a Trump-like optimism of the war coming to an end, the officials did say that a ceasefire in Lebanon would be a “positive signal” for Iran's decisions going forward.

Indeed, a possible ceasefire in Lebanon could be in the cards, which the Israeli security cabinet will discuss further on Wednesday, as per a Reuters report, which cites a senior Israeli official.

This comes amid Washington's pressure on Tel Aviv to push for a ceasefire in Lebanon—a war that grew out of the nearly 50-day-old Iran vs US-Israel war.