Trump's Deadline Looms As Iran Rejects Temporary Ceasefire Proposal

WASHINGTON – The U.S. and Iran look acold isolated successful negotiated efforts aimed astatine ending nan war, conscionable complete 24 hours from President Donald Trump’s deadline for nan authorities successful Tehran to either work together to a woody aliases look a bombardment of attacks on its country’s infrastructure.

“We’re giving them till tomorrow, 8 o’clock Eastern time, and aft that, they’re going to person nary bridges,” Trump said during a news convention astatine nan White House connected Monday. “They’re going to person nary powerfulness plants.”

Trump vowed to explosive Iran to nan “stone ages” if nary woody that includes nan reopening of nan Strait of Hormuz is reached by Tuesday night. Without clarifying which connection he was referring to, Trump described a latest connection from Iran arsenic “a important proposal,” but added that “it’s not bully enough.”

Iran, for its part, has been demanding a imperishable extremity to nan warfare contempt Trump’s latest ultimatum. Iran publically has rejected proposals for a impermanent ceasefire that person been shared done intermediaries.

One of those proposals includes a 45-day ceasefire that was precocious delivered by Pakistan to some U.S. and Iranian officials, according to 2 location officials and a elder White House official.

The White House charismatic said nan 45-day ceasefire connection is “one of galore things being discussed” successful an speech of views betwixt nan U.S. and Iran done mediators. Trump has not signed disconnected connected nan proposal, nan White House charismatic said.

“The only 1 who is going to group a ceasefire is me,” Trump said Monday during an Easter arena erstwhile asked astir nan 45-day ceasefire proposal. “I haven’t group immoderate ceasefire.”

Iranian authorities media IRNA reported connected Monday that Tehran has sent a ten-point connection to nan U.S. done Pakistan that emphasizes nan request for a imperishable extremity to nan war. IRNA reported that Iran would cull a impermanent ceasefire fixed that during erstwhile rounds of negotiations pinch nan U.S., nan Trump management launched subject strikes while talks were ongoing.

Asked if he has concerns astir bombing Iran’s infrastructure amounting to a warfare crime, Trump said, “No, not astatine all.”

“I dream I don’t person to do it,” he said.

The U.S. and Iran person acknowledged exchanging messages done intermediaries for nan past 2 weeks including Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey. As portion of those discussions, Vice President J.D. Vance has been successful touch pinch Pakistan’s service chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir according to location officials. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi has said he has been successful touch straight pinch U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

On Monday, Trump said nan U.S. is negotiating pinch “an active, consenting participant” successful Iran, while besides saying that communicating pinch Iranian activity has been a challenge.

“They person nary communication. In fact, nan biggest problem we person successful our speech is that they can’t communicate,” he said. “We’re communicating for illustration they utilized to pass 2,000 years ago, pinch children bringing a statement backmost and forth.”

“I tin show you, they’re negotiating,” he later added. “We deliberation successful bully faith, we’re going to find out.”

The president has issued a bid of threats to nan Iranian authorities pinch deadlines that person travel and gone, namely complete reopening nan Strait of Hormuz.

On March 21, he gave Iran 48 hours to nan re-open nan captious waterway but later extended it for much than a week announcing nan commencement of negotiated negotiations to extremity nan war. Since then, nan president has vacillated betwixt saying a woody is unnecessary for Iran to reopen nan strait to saying it is not nan U.S.’ but different countries’ work to guarantee nan strait is reopened to demanding that Iran reopen nan strait aliases look attacks connected its infrastructure.

Dennis Ross, a erstwhile Middle East envoy who is presently a chap astatine nan Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Iran’s leaders person mislaid overmuch of nan country’s subject mightiness from U.S. and Israeli strikes, but contempt Trump’s threats they spot important leverage successful controlling nan Strait of Hormuz fixed nan effect connected nan world economy.

“They don’t discount nan threats, but they spot nan conflict successful existential position and they spot themselves amended disconnected by continuing it—and successful immoderate arena judge nan president will request to extremity it earlier they do,” Ross said.

Trump suggested connected Monday that immoderate woody to extremity nan warfare would person to see nan free postulation of lipid done nan Strait of Hormuz, which he said is “a very large priority.”

He besides said location would beryllium nary much extensions to his Tuesday deadline.

“It’s not going to beryllium moved again. I gave them a chance, and I dream they return nan chance,” he said. “If they don’t, it’s trouble.”