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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday said his country has not decided whether to join another round of negotiations with the U.S., after President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire between the two countries indefinitely.

Baghaei blamed the Trump administration, saying "Washington keeps changing its stance hour by hour and lacks consistency and a unified approach in its decisions," according to Iranian state television.

Iranian and U.S. officials were expected to begin a second round of peace talks on Wednesday, but the trip was delayed as Iran had not agreed to participate. Trump then announced that he was extending the ceasefire until Iran's leaders can "come up with a unified proposal."

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President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would extend the ceasefire with Iran until the country submitted a peace proposal and "discussions are concluded, one way or the other."

"We have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, calling Iran's government "seriously fractured" and saying the requests came from top Pakistani officials.

The president made the announcement as the chances for talks between the two sides were growing increasingly dim. Trump also confirmed he would continue the naval blockade of Iranian ports, a move that Iran's leaders have called "an act of war."

Vice President JD Vance was expected to leave for Islamabad, Pakistan, on Tuesday morning to lead a U.S. delegation in talks with Iran. But the trip was called off as U.S. officials await a plan from the Iranians. Tehran, meanwhile, expressed frustration with American leaders and said it hadn't decided whether it would send diplomats to Pakistan at all.

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10-day pause in hostilities in Lebanon began on Thursday last week. 

But since then, Israeli army commanders have told Haaretz that systematic destruction of civilian buildings in southern villages was continuing to take place. 

The commanders said civilian engineering tools had been brought into the area, including excavators, and were being operated by paid Israeli civilian contractors. 

Some of these contractors were receiving a daily wage, while others were paid based on the scope of work and the number of buildings they destroyed.

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An image showing an Israeli soldier using a jackhammer to smash a statue of Jesus on a cross in southern Lebanon went viral on social media on Sunday.

Israel has occupied several areas in southern Lebanon since launching its war on the country on March 2.  A ceasefire came into effect on Friday.

Members of the Christian community say the statue is in the village of Debel, a Maronite Christian town about six kilometres northwest of Ain Ebel and roughly five kilometres from the Israeli border community of Shtula.

The image sparked immediate outrage online, including among some former allies of US President Donald Trump.

Former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted mockingly on X under the image: “'Our greatest ally' that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year.”

Greene, once a Trump ally, has since turned on the US president over the Epstein files and his decision to follow Israel into a war on Iran, which she has condemned.

Similarly, Matt Gaetz, a former Republican congressman, described the image as “horrific”.

The backlash from figures within the MAGA movement is likely to further damage Israel’s image among one of its strongest support bases in the US - evangelical Christians.

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Iran said Saturday it had reinstated control of the Strait of Hormuz, and was reversing course on its decision to reopen the critical waterway until the United States completely lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.

The announcement came the morning after President Donald Trump had said the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will remain and attacks could resume if no agreement is reached before the current ceasefire with Iran expires next week.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Saturday, Trump said Iran had tried to get "cute" in taking back control of the Strait of Hormuz.

"They got a little cute, as they have been doing for 47 years. Nobody ever took them on. We took them on," Trump said.

Asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One the previous evening about what he will do if there's no deal before the ceasefire expires, Trump said: "I don't know. Maybe I won't extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. But maybe I won't extend it, so you'll have a blockade and unfortunately we'll have to start dropping bombs again."

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The U.S. military is readying to board ships linked to Iran and seize commercial vessels in international waters in the coming days as President Trump looks to expand a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military planning, told The Hill on Saturday.

The planning comes as the military is already enforcing the naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, turning back 23 vessels that attempted to leave Iranian ports on Monday.

The expanded enforcement could come as Iran has effectively closed the strait, a vital shipping pathway responsible for the transport of roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, leading to increase in energy and gas prices.

Iran has reportedly attacked several vessels in the channel, a day after its foreign minister claimed the waterway was “completely” open for commercial ships following the temporary truce reached between Lebanon and Israel. The move caused oil prices to drop dramatically on Friday.

The Hill has reached out to the U.S. Central Command for comment.

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