Iran Rejects Trump’s Hormuz Deadline as Mediators Push 45-Day Ceasefire Plan

Iran Rejects Trump’s Hormuz Deadline as Mediators Push 45-Day Ceasefire Plan

Quick Reads

• Iran has formally rejected Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway will remain closed until all war damages are compensated.
• Iran’s military command labelled Trump’s threat a “helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action” and warned that “the gates of hell will open” for the United States.
• Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators circulated a new proposal overnight calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the immediate reopening of the Strait, but Iran has not yet committed.
• Reuters reported that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been in contact with Pakistan’s army chief throughout the night, though Tehran insists it will not hold direct talks under current conditions.
• US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 34 people across Iran in the most recent wave of attacks, including at least six children, according to Al Jazeera.

Iran has rejected President Donald Trump’s deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, declaring on Monday that the waterway will stay closed until the country receives full compensation for war damages. The rejection came as a new ceasefire framework brokered overnight by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, was put in front of both Tehran and Washington ahead of Trump’s Tuesday 8 p.m. Eastern Time cutoff for launching strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges.

Trump’s ultimatum was his most explicit yet. In a profanity-laced Truth Social post, he threatened that Iran would be “living in Hell” if the Strait was not fully reopened, and later told the Wall Street Journal directly: “If they don’t do something by Tuesday evening, they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing.” Iran’s President’s office called the threats the words of a “desperate and raving fool.” Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf issued a counter-warning, saying Trump was pushing the United States toward “a living hell” and that the region could “burn.”

On the diplomatic front, Reuters reported Monday that the framework, informally dubbed the “Islamabad Accord”, proposes an immediate ceasefire with 15 to 20 days to finalise a broader settlement, and would be formalised through Pakistan as the sole communication channel between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, spent the night in direct contact with US Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff, Reuters reported. Iran has not yet responded. “All elements need to be agreed today,” a source with knowledge of the proposals told Reuters. A senior Iranian official separately told Reuters that Tehran would not reopen the Strait as part of a temporary ceasefire and would not accept deadlines while reviewing any proposal.

The war, now in its 38th day, began on 28 February 2026 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, just two days after indirect nuclear talks in Geneva collapsed without a breakthrough. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas passes, sending crude prices above $100 a barrel, from $65 before the conflict started. Trump has issued multiple deadlines since then, extending each when mediators signalled progress. On 26 March, he paused attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure for 10 days at Iran’s request, setting April 6 as the new cutoff. That deadline passed Monday without a deal, and Trump extended it by 20 hours to Tuesday evening.

The diplomatic picture grew more complicated after Iran rejected a US ceasefire proposal in early April. According to Reuters, a senior Iranian source confirmed on 1 April that Tehran was demanding a fully guaranteed, permanent ceasefire, not a temporary pause, before any talks could begin. Iran’s five stated conditions include an end to all attacks, guaranteed non-recurrence of war, payment of reparations, a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts including against Hezbollah, and recognition of Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi left the door open for indirect contact through Pakistan on Monday, saying on X: “What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting end to the illegal war that is imposed on us.”

Inside Iran, the conflict has sharpened a political debate about the country’s nuclear posture. As of 28 March, members of parliament were advancing priority legislation to withdraw Iran from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, citing US-Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities, steel plants and universities. Al Jazeera reported that lawmaker Malek Shariati confirmed the bill had been uploaded to a parliamentary portal and would be reviewed imminently. The legislation would also revoke restrictions linked to the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal and explore new frameworks with allied countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS. Any bill would still require approval from the Guardian Council before taking effect.

On the ground, Monday’s strikes hit Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, killing the head of intelligence for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Major General Majid Khademi, according to Iranian state media and Israel’s defence minister, as reported by the Associated Press. Iran struck back with missile fire on Israel and drone attacks on Gulf neighbours. The UAE said its air defences had engaged hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones since the war began. Brent crude spot prices hit $141.36 a barrel last week, the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, according to S&P Global.