EXPLAINERAs US president’s deadline looms, a ceasefire appears unlikely.Video released by Iranian police was said to show Iranian forces firing at an aircraft over IsfahanPublished On 7 Apr 2026Iran has proposed a 10-point peace plan to end the war as the
United States and
Israel intensify their attacks on
Tehran and a deadline looms that was set by US President
Donald Trump for
Iran to open the
Strait of Hormuz, whose near-closure has triggered a global energy crisis.At the White House on Monday, Trump called the 10-point plan a “significant step” but “not good enough”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran war: What is happening on day 39 of US-Israeli attacks?list 2 of 4What is driving the
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Israel are waging a war on Iranian culture, educationend of listIran’s top university and a major petrochemical plant were hit on Monday after Trump threatened to target power plants and bridges until
Tehran agreed to end the war and open the strait, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass.Here is more about
Iran’s 10-point plan and Trump’s response to it:What is
Iran’s 10-point plan?On Monday,
Pakistan, which has mediated talks in
Islamabad aimed at ending the war, put forth a 45-day ceasefire proposal after separate meetings with US and Iranian officials. The Iranian and US negotiators have not met face to face about the 45‑day truce plan. In late March, Trump told reporters that his envoys were talking to a senior Iranian official, but this was not confirmed by
Iran.
Tehran has denied holding talks with US negotiators.
Iran’s state-run
IRNA news agency said
Tehran had conveyed its response via
Islamabad.
Iran reportedly rejected the proposed ceasefire, putting forward instead a call for a permanent end to the hostilities.The Iranian proposal consisted of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the
Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions and reconstruction,
IRNA reported. The conflict has spread to the Gulf region and
Lebanon, where 1.2 million Lebanese people have been displaced due to Israeli attacks.Details about the 10 clauses have not been published.How did the White House respond?Speaking to reporters about
Iran’s plan, Trump said: “They made a … significant proposal. Not good enough, but they have made a very significant step. We will see what happens.”“If they don’t make a deal, they will have no bridges and no power plants,” he added.In a profane Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump threatened to attack
Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if the
Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in
Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” he wrote.The deadline is set for 8pm Washington time on Tuesday (00:00 GMT).
Tehran has rejected this ultimatum and threatened to retaliate.Human rights organisations and members of the US Congress have criticised Trump for threatening to attack civilian targets, which is considered a war crime.The Axios news website reported that an unnamed US official who saw the Iranian response called it “maximalist”.What other proposals have been on the table?The last time the word “maximalist” was used to describe a peace plan in this war was late last month when
Iran called a US plan “maximalist”.An unnamed, high-ranking diplomatic source told Al Jazeera on March 25 that
Iran had received a 15-point plan drafted by the US. The plan was delivered to
Iran through
Pakistan.The source said
Tehran described the US proposal as “extremely maximalist and unreasonable”.“It is not beautiful, even on paper,” the source said, calling the plan deceptive and misleading in its presentation.The 15-point plan included a 30-day ceasefire, the dismantling of
Iran’s nuclear facilities, limits on
Iran’s missiles and the reopening of the
Strait of Hormuz.In return, the US would remove all sanctions imposed on
Iran and provide support for electricity generation at
Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
Iran has rejected a temporary ceasefire, arguing it would give the US and
Israel time to regroup and launch further attacks.
Tehran has pointed to
Israel’s 12-day war on
Iran in June. The US joined that conflict for one day, hitting
Iran’s three main nuclear sites with air strikes. Trump claimed at the time that the US had destroyed
Iran’s nuclear facilities but months later justified the current war by saying
Iran posed an imminent threat.The UN nuclear watchdog, however, said
Iran was not in a position to make a nuclear bomb.The US and
Israel launched the war on February 28 as Washington was holding negotiations with
Iran. On the eve of the war, Oman, the mediator of the talks, had said a deal was “within reach”.
Tehran has said for years that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes and it does not intend to create nuclear weapons. It even signed a deal with the US in 2015 to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. But Trump withdrew from the landmark deal in 2018 and slapped sanctions back on
Iran.In response,
Iran decided to enrich uranium from 3.6 percent, which was allowed under the 2015 deal, to almost 60 percent after its Natanz nuclear facility was bombed in 2021.
Iran blamed
Israel. A 90 percent level of purity is required to make an atomic bomb.With Tuesday’s deadline fast approaching, chances for a ceasefire appear remote as the two sides remain far from agreement and the conflict is now in its second month.On Tuesday, Reza Amiri Moghadam,
Iran’s ambassador to
Pakistan, posted on X: “
Pakistan positive and productive endeavours in Good Will and Good Office to stop the war is approaching a critical, sensitive stage …”“Stay Tuned for more”.