Trump gives Iran new two-day ultimatum as ceasefire holds steady amid blockade... and he surges more US troops into Middle East

By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 12:44, 15 April 2026 | Updated: 12:59, 15 April 2026 Donald Trump has imposed a 48-hour deadline to bring the war with Iran to a head, as the Pentagon moves to surge thousands of troops into the Middle East. Trump said he isn't thinking about extending the ceasefire because he does not believe it will be necessary, according to journalist Jonathan Karl.  'I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,' Trump said. 'It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild. They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals. They’re gone, no longer with us.'  'If I weren’t president, the world would be torn to pieces.' The President's claim comes as the Pentagon  prepares to send thousands of new troops to the Middle East.  After peace talks with the Islamic regime collapsed over the weekend, the President launched a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint through which roughly a quarter of the world’s supply flows. The blockade has reportedly put an economic stranglehold over Tehran in hopes they will return to the negotiating table.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.