Iran rejected ceasefire proposals on Monday and forwarded to Pakistan a ten-point counter-proposal, according to Iran's official state news agency IRNA (Iran's state-run news outlet). Iran is demanding "an end to hostilities in the region" and insisting on a set of additional conditions that the United States has previously characterized as non-starters.
According to the report, Iran submitted a ten-point document containing demands it has pressed since the start of the war: a safe-passage protocol through the Strait of Hormuz, which amounts in practice to a demand for recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the strait, compensation for war damages, reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, and the lifting of sanctions. IRNA reported that Tehran emphasized, based on "past experience," that a temporary ceasefire was unacceptable, and that it was demanding a permanent and complete end to the war.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump addressed the state of negotiations with Iran on Monday during Easter celebrations at the White House, making clear that talks were ongoing but had not yet produced an agreement. "I've seen every proposal you could imagine," he said, adding that Iran had "submitted a proposal – and it's a significant proposal. It's a very significant step, but it's not good enough." Trump stressed that discussions were still underway. "They're negotiating right now," he said. "We'll see what happens."
The president added that Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time constituted, in his view, the absolute final deadline. Asked whether the US would continue military operations if Iran did not meet its demands, he replied, "The answer is yes, but you'll have to watch." Trump also made clear that, in his view, the war could end quickly "if they do what they have to do – they know it."
Trump again claimed that Iran was now governed by a leadership that was "much more reasonable" than in the past. "You can call it whatever you want, but I call it regime change," he said, noting that those currently in power were "less extreme" and even "smarter." "They haven't surrendered yet – but if they don't surrender, there will be no bridges, no power plants, nothing."
He noted that if it were up to him, he would "take Iran's oil for ourselves" and "make a profit from it," but that the public "wants to see us win and come home." He recalled that the conflict had been comparatively short: "We've been there 34 days, and in that time we've destroyed a very powerful country." He said there were "many alternatives," including the option of withdrawing now – at which point it would take Iran "15 years to rebuild what they have" – but said he preferred "to finish this" on terms that would guarantee Iran could not develop nuclear weapons.
The Pakistani proposal
A senior White House official responded Monday to reports of a 45-day ceasefire proposal between the US and Iran, calling it "one idea among many" currently under consideration. "The president has not approved it," the official added. "Operation Epic Fury is ongoing," according to several American media reports.
According to reports from earlier in the day, Pakistan had formulated a two-stage framework overnight and conveyed it to both parties. Its main elements were an immediate ceasefire to take effect that same day, followed by talks to finalize a permanent agreement within 15 to 20 days, through face-to-face discussions in Islamabad. According to Reuters, Pakistan's army chief and the country's most powerful figure, General Asim Munir, had been in contact throughout the night with US Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Egypt and Turkey were also participating in the diplomatic effort, and China expressed support for the initiative.
About 36 hours before the deadline that US President Donald Trump had once again set for opening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran showed no public sign of agreeing to do so. Trump had pledged Sunday that Tuesday would become "the day of power plants and bridges" if the strait was not opened. "Open the f***ing strait, crazy bastards, or you'll live in hell," he wrote on Truth Social, explicitly marking the deadline in a separate post: "Tuesday, 8 PM Eastern Time" – meaning the early hours of Wednesday, Israeli time.
Trump had first issued an ultimatum to Iran on March 21, demanding that the Strait of Hormuz be opened within 48 hours or its power plants would be struck. The deadline had since been pushed back twice: first by five days, and then by an additional ten days – ostensibly at the Iranian government's request. Sunday, Trump expanded his list of targets and set a new deadline for Tuesday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei addressed the reports indirectly at his weekly press conference on Monday. "A few days ago, proposals were presented through mediators, and the US fifteen-point plan was conveyed through Pakistan and other friendly states," he said. "We immediately declared that these proposals were excessive, out of line, and illogical, and that we could not accept them in any form." He added, "Separately, we drew up our own set of demands based on our interests and considerations, and conveyed them through the mediators."
"Iran will not open the strait as part of a temporary ceasefire, and will not accept deadlines or pressure to reach a decision," a senior Iranian official told Reuters. The official added that Tehran believed Washington was "still not ready for a permanent ceasefire."
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke Monday with Araghchi, according to a source at Turkey's foreign ministry who relayed the information to Reuters. The two discussed the war and the latest developments, with no further details provided on the substance of the call.
According to four American, Israeli, and regional sources close to the talks cited by Axios, the chances of reaching a partial agreement within the following 48 hours were low. Even so, those sources said it was the last opportunity to prevent a dramatic escalation – one that would include massive strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran and retaliatory action targeting energy and desalination facilities in the Gulf states.
