Trump Issues Final Deadline for Iran to Reopen Strait of Hormuz or Face Infrastructure Strikes

President Donald Trump set a final deadline of 8:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure to comply would trigger devastating strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges. Trump made the threat explicit at a White House news conference on Monday, saying of Iran: "It will take them 100 years to rebuild." The ultimatum came as Iran delivered a 10-point counterproposal through Pakistan, which Trump acknowledged as "a significant step" but declared "not good enough." A US-Israeli airstrike on a residential building south of Tehran killed at least 13 people on Monday morning, according to Iranian state media, though Reuters was unable to independently verify the report. The conflict, which began in late February 2026, has now stretched beyond five weeks of sustained strikes targeting what Washington and Jerusalem describe as Iran's nuclear weapons program, ballistic missile arsenal, and support for regional proxy forces.

Pakistan's peace framework rejected before deadline looms Pakistan drafted a framework agreement, provisionally named the Islamabad Accord, which outlined a two-stage approach: an immediate ceasefire followed by a comprehensive agreement, with the Strait of Hormuz to reopen within 15 to 20 days and final talks held in Islamabad. Both Iran and the United States received the plan overnight, according to Reuters, citing anonymous informed sources. Iran rejected the proposal, with a senior Iranian official telling Reuters that Tehran would not reopen the Strait in exchange for a "temporary truce," adding that Iran does not accept being placed under pressure to meet deadlines. Iranian state media confirmed that Iran's own 10-point proposal "rejected a ceasefire" and "emphasized the necessity of a permanent end to the war in line with Iran's considerations." The Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, dismissed the Axios report on ceasefire talks as a psychological operation and predicted Trump would "step back" from his threats for a third time.

The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, with strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. Iran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supplies transit. On March 24, 2026, the United States sent its own 15-point proposal to end the war to Pakistan; Iran rejected it and submitted counterproposals, some of which reappear in the current 10-point plan.

Iran's $2 million per ship demand reshapes negotiating table Iran's 10-point proposal, conveyed through Pakistan, demanded a guarantee against future attacks, an end to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the lifting of all sanctions. In return, Iran offered to lift its de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and proposed imposing a fee of roughly 2 (million USD per ship) — Iranian-proposed transit fee through Strait of Hormuz per vessel passing through, to be split with Oman. Iran said it would use its share of the fee revenue to fund reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by US and Israeli strikes, rather than demand direct compensation. Trump said Monday that reopening the Strait was "a very big priority" and that any deal must include "free travel and everything." He confirmed that Vice President JD Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are involved in the negotiations, describing the Iranian side as "an active, willing participant" negotiating "in good faith — we're going to find out."

„I can tell you that we have an active, willing participant on the other side. They would like to be able to make a deal. I can't say any more than that.” — Donald Trump via Bloomberg Business

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf rejected Trump's threats on the platform X, accusing the US president of being misled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

„Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living hell for every single family, and our entire region will burn because you insist on following Netanyahu's orders.” — Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf via Reuters

Rescued airmen and a war already costing thousands of lives US special forces successfully rescued two airmen from a downed F-15E fighter jet from deep inside Iranian territory, an operation Trump praised publicly on Monday. Iranian leaders cited the shootdown of the aircraft as evidence of their military effectiveness, even as US and Israeli strikes have continued to degrade Iranian infrastructure. Trump, in a profanity-laced post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, threatened to make Tuesday "Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, all in one, in Iran." Many legal experts have said that deliberately striking civilian infrastructure would constitute a war crime under international law, according to The New York Times. Bloomberg Business reported that the conflict has already left thousands of people dead. With the deadline set for 8:00 PM Eastern on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 — still hours away at the time of this report — the outcome of last-minute negotiations involving Vance, Witkoff, and Pakistani intermediaries will determine whether the war enters a new and more destructive phase or moves toward a framework for ending hostilities.

Key events in the US-Iran conflict: — ; — ; — ; — ; —