US, Iran weigh Pakistani-brokered peace plan as Trump's 'hell' warning nears deadline

DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters):  With a U.S. deadline approaching, the United States and Iran received the framework of a ​plan to end their five‑week-old conflict, though Tehran rejected any immediate move to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

 

President Donald Trump has threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran if it did not make a deal by ‌the end of Tuesday that would allow traffic to start moving again through the vital route for global energy supplies.

The Pakistani-brokered plan emerged from intense overnight contacts and proposes an immediate ceasefire, followed by negotiations on a broader settlement to be concluded within 15 to 20 days, a source aware of the proposals said on Monday.

 

Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was in contact "all night long" with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the source said.

 

Iran's foreign ministry said on ​Monday Tehran had formulated positions and demands based on its interests and communicated them through intermediaries, in response to ceasefire proposals.

Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said details of the response would be announced in due time, ​but added negotiations were "incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes."

 

"Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should ⁠not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions," Baghaei told a press conference. He said earlier U.S. demands, such as a 15-point plan, were rejected for ​being excessive.

 

Earlier on Monday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran won't reopen the Strait as part of a temporary ceasefire, nor would it accept deadlines or pressure to reach a deal. Washington was not ready for a ​permanent ceasefire, the official said.

 

Axios first reported on Sunday that the U.S., Iran and regional mediators were discussing a potential 45-day ceasefire as part of a two-phase deal that could lead to a permanent end to the war, citing U.S., Israeli and regional sources.TRUMP SAYS DEAL MUST BE MADE BY TUESDAY

 

In a post laden with expletives on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump threatened further strikes on Iranian energy and transport infrastructure if Iran failed to make a deal and reopen the Strait by Tuesday. Later on Sunday, ​the president in a follow-up post gave a more precise deadline: "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time! (Wednesday 0000 GMT)"

 

Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said any settlement must guarantee access through the Strait of ​Hormuz. He warned that a deal that failed to rein in Iran’s nuclear programme and its missiles and drones would pave the way for "a more dangerous, more volatile Middle East".

Fresh aerial strikes were reported across the region on Monday, more than five ‌weeks since the ⁠U.S. and Israel began pounding Iran in a war that has killed thousands and damaged economies by boosting oil prices.

 

Iranian state media said the head of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence organisation, Majid Khademi, has died. Israel on Monday claimed responsibility for his death.

Israel and the U.S. have carried out assassinations of Iran's leaders since the start of the war on Feb. 28, killing several high-ranking members of the Iranian ruling system, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was replaced by his son, Mojtaba.

 

A U.S.-Israeli attack hit the data centre at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, damaging infrastructure underpinning the country’s national artificial intelligence platform and thousands of other services, Fars News Agency said on Sunday.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz in a statement ​issued on Monday threatened to destroy Iran’s infrastructure ⁠and hunt down its leaders "one by one".

 

Trump has repeatedly warned Iran he could expand U.S. strikes to include civilian infrastructure, such as power plants and bridges.

 

Experts say such attacks could constitute war crimes but the International Criminal Court lacks jurisdiction because the countries involved are not members of the court.

 

The Geneva Conventions say that parties involved in military conflict must distinguish ​between "civilian objects and military objectives", and that attacks on civilian objects are forbidden.

 

Iranian weekend strikes on petrochemical facilities and an Israeli-linked vessel in Kuwait, Bahrain and the ​UAE underscored the country's ability to ⁠fight back despite Trump's repeated claims to have knocked out its missile and drone capabilities.

 

Iran responded to the attacks launched by the U.S. and Israel in February by effectively closing the Hormuz waterway, a conduit for about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supply, and attacking Israel, U.S. military bases and energy infrastructure around the Gulf.

 

About 3,540 people have been killed in Iran since the war erupted, including at least 244 children, said U.S.-based rights group HRANA.

 

At least four ⁠Israelis were killed ​in a missile attack on a residential building in Haifa in northern Israel overnight, Israeli emergency service MDA said on Monday, bringing the ​total number of Israeli civilian fatalities from Iranian and Hezbollah attacks to 23.

 

Israel has also invaded southern Lebanon and struck Beirut in a fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants that has become the most violent spillover of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Lebanon's heavy casualties include 1,461 killed, including at least ​124 children, Lebanese authorities say.

Thirteen U.S. service members have died and hundreds of others have been wounded.