Trump extends Iran ceasefire after insisting he wouldn’t hours earlier, citing a ‘seriously fractured’ Iran

The U.S.-Iran ceasefire will not expire on Wednesday afternoon after all. 

In a Truth Social post Tuesday afternoon that came minutes after stocks settled, President Trump said he was extending the truce—citing “the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so” and a request from Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan to “hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.” The naval blockade of Iranian ports stays on. The after-the-bell post closed out a day of ceasefire whiplash that had started before the opening one.

Trump began the morning on CNBC’s Squawk Box, telling viewers the U.S. was “going to end up with a great deal,” adding, “I think they have no choice,” and said he did not plan to extend the ceasefire. Stock futures rose on diplomatic optimism as the Dow opened up 0.52...