Iran has 48 hours to make a deal with the US before a major attack, US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to close or open the Strait of Hormuz? Time is running out – 48 hours before all hell breaks loose“, the US leader wrote.
The US president earlier announced that he had temporarily limited strikes on Iranian energy facilities, first for five days, and then for ten days. The ten-day period expires in two days – April 6. According to Trump himself, he made this decision amid constructive talks with Tehran. However, Iranian officials have denied that direct talks are taking place.
Before the partial suspension of the strikes, Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran, threatening to destroy all of the country's power plants if Tehran did not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iranian officials have vowed to retaliate by destroying US energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf and completely closing the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump repeated his threats on April 2, saying that if Iran did not agree to a deal, the US would hit "very hard every single one of their power plants, probably simultaneously."
In late March, Trump wrote that significant progress had been made in talks with Iran. He then noted that Washington was negotiating with a "new, more reasonable regime." The president also noted that Tehran has agreed to most of the 15 points of the US peace plan.
Bloomberg reported that the US proposal includes 12 demands, including Iran's refusal to enrich uranium, ending its support for armed puppet groups and opening the Strait of Hormuz. In return, Washington is offering three initiatives, including the lifting of sanctions and promoting the development of civilian nuclear energy. A Reuters source specified that Iranian authorities considered the plan "one-sided" and did not include the minimum conditions for success.
In early April, however, the Iranian news agency "Fars", citing an informed source, reported that Iran had rejected the US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire. The negotiators' meetings in Pakistan have also failed to produce results, as Iran's leadership is not seeking dialogue with Washington, the source added.
According to the “Wall Street Journal“, current efforts by regional countries, led by Pakistan, to achieve a ceasefire between the US and Iran are stalled. Tehran is refusing to meet with US representatives in Islamabad in the coming days and calls the US demands unacceptable.