The United States and Iran have received a proposed framework to end hostilities, a day after President Donald Trump threatened to unleash “hell” on Tehran if it failed to reach a deal. However, Iran said it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of a temporary ceasefire.
The plan outlines a two-phase approach, beginning with an immediate ceasefire followed by negotiations toward a comprehensive agreement. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has been in contact “throughout the night” with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, a source familiar with the discussions said on Monday.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would not reopen the Strait as part of a temporary truce and would not accept imposed deadlines while reviewing the proposal.
Axios reported on Sunday that the United States, Iran, and regional mediators were discussing a potential 45-day ceasefire as part of a broader two-phase deal that could lead to a permanent end to the war, citing U.S., Israeli, and regional sources.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump, using strong language, threatened further strikes on Iranian energy and transport infrastructure if Tehran failed to reach a deal and reopen the Strait by Tuesday.
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.
Iran responded to the attacks 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.
