President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for a second time, giving Tehran 10 more days to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept a sweeping U.S. proposal—even as Iran publicly denies that any negotiations are underway.
The new deadline: April 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social. He said Iran had requested the pause, which would delay “the destruction of its energy plants.”
There was no immediate reaction from Tehran. But the Wall Street Journal, citing peace talk mediators, reported that Iran did not ask for a 10-day pause on strikes.
The 15-Point Demand
Iran has already rejected the U.S. proposal that Trump is pushing. The 15-point plan, conveyed to Tehran by Pakistani intermediaries, includes demands that range from dismantling Iran’s nuclear program to curbing its missile capabilities and effectively handing over control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources and reports.
An Iranian official told Reuters the proposal was reviewed in detail on Wednesday by senior officials and the representative of Iran’s supreme leader. Their conclusion: it “served only U.S. and Israeli interests. Yet diplomacy has not ended,” the official said.
Trump, for his part, has been vague about who in Iran he is negotiating with. Many of the country’s top officials have been killed in the war. Iran has repeatedly said it is not engaged in talks with Washington.
The War Grinds On
While Trump talks deadlines, the war continues.
Early Friday, Iranian media reported strikes on residential areas in Tehran, Qom, and Urumia. In Qom’s Pardisan area, three residential homes were hit, killing at least six people. In Tehran, rescue workers pulled a survivor from the rubble of a residential building. In Urumia, a housing complex was struck by a direct missile attack, destroying at least four units and killing and injuring several civilians.
The Israeli military said it struck ballistic missile production sites and air defense systems across Iran overnight, including targets in Tehran and western regions—operations aimed, it said, at degrading Iran’s missile capabilities and reducing threats to Israel.
The Economic Toll
The war has disrupted global shipping on a scale not seen in decades. Crude oil prices are up around 40%. Liquefied natural gas prices have spiked. Nitrogen-based fertilizers—critical to food production—are up about 50%.
Stock markets fell sharply in the U.S. and Europe on Thursday, with Asian markets following suit on Friday as investors worried the conflict could drag on indefinitely.
“Many see the Iranian regime as holding the upper hand and doubt that there are indeed productive negotiations with the U.S. in process,” said ITC Markets senior FX analyst Sean Callow.
The Coalition Problem
Trump wants allies to help break Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, he suggested Iran let 10 oil tankers transit the strait as a goodwill gesture, including some Pakistan-flagged vessels.
But several U.S. allies have rebuffed Trump’s request for military support, saying they have no immediate plans to send ships. France said it would only join a mission once the war ends.
The United Arab Emirates, which has absorbed more Iranian attacks than any other Gulf state, told the U.S. and other Western allies it would participate in a multinational maritime task force to reopen the strait, the Financial Times reported Friday.
The Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. It has also deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols—the first time Washington has confirmed using such vessels in an active conflict.
What Happens Next
Trump’s extension is the second pause after a 48-hour ultimatum was followed by a five-day halt. The new deadline is April 6.
By then, either Tehran will have accepted terms it has already called “unfair” and “one-sided,” or the strikes will resume. The White House says talks are going well. Iran says there are no talks.
The gap between those two realities is the only certainty in a war that has already killed thousands, destabilized the global economy, and left the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most critical oil chokepoint—effectively closed.
Ten days is a long time in a war. But for now, the clock is counting down.
