Published April 6, 2026
US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s offers to end the war are not enough to avert the country’s threat to destroy infrastructure unless it reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump said Monday that the Tuesday deadline he set for a deal with Iran is final. Amid further threats and claims, he said the proposal would not soften U.S. action.
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“This is an important proposal. It’s an important step. It’s not enough, but it’s a very important step,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that brokers were “currently negotiating.”
President Trump on Sunday threatened to order attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges if Iran did not agree to allow free navigation of ships in the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday night.
In peacetime, about 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies pass through the strategic waterway that connects the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
Early Monday morning, Pakistan submitted a 45-day ceasefire proposal after a meeting seeking a diplomatic solution to the war. The war was sparked by attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States on February 28, and Iran responded by firing missiles at targets across the Middle East.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that the Iranian government communicated its response via Islamabad. Iran reportedly rejected the proposed ceasefire and instead proposed a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Iran’s proposal consists of 10 articles, including an end to the regional conflict, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting and rehabilitation of sanctions, IRNA added.
“We are not simply going to accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press. “We will only accept an end to the war if there is a guarantee that we will not be attacked again.”
“animal”
The White House acknowledged that a ceasefire was under consideration, but said President Trump “has not signed” it and the war continues.
A White House official told AFP: “This is one of many ideas that POTUS has not approved. Operation Epic Fury continues.”
President Trump later said it was “very unlikely” that the deadline, which starts at 8pm Washington time (midnight Japan time), will be extended. “They had plenty of time,” he said.
President Trump warned that unless a deal is reached, the United States could take Iran “back to the Stone Age” and bomb it.
Asked whether he was concerned about the suggestion that attacks on infrastructure would be classified as war crimes, he replied: “I am not.”
“Do you know what war crimes are?” he continued. “War crimes have allowed Iran to acquire nuclear weapons,” he said, adding that Iranian leaders were “animals” who had killed tens of thousands of protesters.
key to the economy
Iran’s rejection of the cease-fire proposal came after Israel attacked a major petrochemical plant in the South Pars gas field, killing two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders.
Israel claimed responsibility for the attack on the factory in Asaluyeh, a key hub for Iran’s energy sector and its economy in general, both in the production of oil byproducts and in collaboration with Qatar on the world’s largest natural gas field. The attack appeared to be separate from President Trump’s threats and deadlines.
Iran’s control of the strait has caused soaring oil prices and shaken the world economy.
National Petrochemical Company said after the strike that the extent of the damage was being assessed and the situation was “under control.”
“The fire has been brought under control. The situation is currently under control and technical aspects and extent of damage are being assessed,” IRNA quoted the oil company as saying, adding that no injuries were reported.
The White House did not immediately comment on the attack.
After Israel attacked South Pearls in March, President Trump said Israel would not attack again, but warned that if Iran continued to attack Qatar’s energy infrastructure, the United States would “blow up” the plant.
