US-Iran ceasefire proposal reached
The United States and Iran have reached a draft plan to immediately end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, US President Donald Trump has threatened that “hell will descend” on Tehran if no deal is reached by Tuesday, after which Iran has refused to immediately open the Strait of Hormuz.
A source familiar with the proposal said on Monday that the peace plan was implemented in two phases. The first phase is an immediate ceasefire, followed by a full agreement to be finalized within 15-20 days. The source added that Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was in contact overnight with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would not open the Strait of Hormuz as part of a temporary ceasefire. He also said that Iran would not accept a specific deadline while reviewing the proposal. At the same time, he said that Washington is not ready for a permanent ceasefire. On Sunday, Axios first reported that the United States, Iran and regional mediators are discussing a possible 45-day ceasefire, which could be part of a two-phase deal to permanently end the war.
Deal by Tuesday, Trump’s condition
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social yesterday, Trump threatened to launch new attacks on Iran’s energy and transportation infrastructure if a deal is not reached and the strait is not opened by Tuesday. Later, in another post, he set a specific deadline: 8 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday!
New airstrikes were also reported across the region today. The war, which has been going on for more than five weeks, has killed thousands and the economy has been battered by soaring oil prices. Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, said any solution must ensure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
He warned that any deal that fails to curb Iran’s nuclear program, missiles and drones would make the Middle East “more dangerous and unstable.” Israeli media reported that an Iranian missile strike destroyed a residential building in Haifa yesterday, from which rescuers recovered two bodies. The US-based human rights group HRANA said that some 3,540 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, including at least 244 children.
Meanwhile, Israel has also carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon and hit Beirut as part of its fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah. Lebanese authorities put the death toll there at 1,461, including at least 124 children.
Source: Reuters
