Franco Ordonez

But the current priority is about control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has maintained a steel grip on over the last several weeks.

The Trump administration has tried everything to reopen the strait, including aggressive threats, to now launching its own blockade of Iranian ports, preventing ships from entering or leaving.

Franco Ordonez, NPR News, the White House.

I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in with.

But

We're ready to go.

I mean, the military is raring to go.

The president said Pakistan, which is mediating the talks, asked him to hold off on more attacks, but that the U.S.

would stick around and that its naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz would also continue.

The Iranians called the U.S.

blockade an act of war and signaled that's why it refused to show up for the latest round of talks.

Control of the strait has become a point of leverage in the war.

Iran has maintained a tight grip on the strait for weeks, sending oil prices skyrocketing.

The U.S.

has tried everything to get the critical waterway reopened, from repeated aggressive threats against Iran to now launching its own blockade against ships heading into or out of Iranian ports.

Franco, Ordonez, and PR News, the White House.

The president said Pakistan, which is mediating the talks, asked him to hold off on the attacks, but that the U.S.

military would continue to stick around and that he was extending the ceasefire until the talks were concluded, quote, one way or the other.

And this is quite a pivot from just a few hours ago when he warned that he was ready to restart the bombing.

It's not the first time that Trump has made a big threat before pulling back.