President Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, indicating that it was necessary for Iran to solidify a unified negotiating position. Per the American President, the extension follows a request from Pakistani intermediaries, Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who urged Washington to pause its resumption of a military campaign while Iran’s divided leadership attempts to consolidate around a single offer. This extended pause, however, falls far short of a peace. It is a strategic interval in which both sides are attempting to extract maximum leverage before any formal talks resume, with both sides failing to fully trust the other’s intent.