- Iran rejects demands for a permanent end to the conflict through Pakistan.
- Iran's response includes lifting sanctions and safe passage through Hormuz.
- Trump threatens severe measures if Iran does not accept a deal.
Iran said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the United States and Israel, and rejected pressure to quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a temporary ceasefire as the Americans and Iranians weighed a framework plan to end their five-week conflict.
Iran conveyed its response to the US proposal to end the war to Pakistan, rejecting a ceasefire and emphasizing the need for a permanent end to the war, the official said. IRNA the news agency said on Monday.
The Iranian response was made up of 10 clauses, including the end of conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions and reconstruction, the agency added.
President Donald Trump, who has threatened to bring “hell” down on Tehran if it does not reach a deal by 8:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (midnight GMT) to open the vital route for global energy supplies, rejected the Iranian proposal on Monday and said his deadline was final.
“They made a proposal, and it's a significant proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough,” Trump told reporters at an annual White House Easter event, referring to Iran.
Iran responded to the US and Israeli attacks in February by effectively shutting down Hormuz, a conduit for about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supply. The waterway's stranglehold on the global economy has proven to be a powerful bargaining chip for Iran, and on Monday it appeared reluctant to give it up too easily.
Pakistan's negotiated framework for ending the war emerged from intense overnight contacts and proposes an immediate ceasefire, followed by talks on a broader peace deal to be concluded within 15 to 20 days, a source familiar with the proposals said on Monday.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir was in touch “all night” with US Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the source said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran's demands “should not be interpreted as a sign of commitment, but rather a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions.” He added that previous US demands, such as a 15-point plan, were rejected as “excessive.”
Ceasefire proposal is “one of many ideas”
“This is one of many ideas and (Trump) has not approved it. Operation Epic Fury continues,” a White House official said. Reutersin reference to the American name of the operation against Iran.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 0.5% at $109.60 a barrel by 1545 GMT.
In an expletive-laden post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump threatened further attacks on Iranian energy and transportation infrastructure if Iran failed to reach a deal and reopen the Strait by Tuesday.
Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, said any agreement must guarantee access through Hormuz. He warned that a deal that failed to rein in Iran's nuclear program and its missiles and drones would pave the way for “a more dangerous and more volatile Middle East.”
New airstrikes were reported across the region on Monday, more than five weeks since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran in a war that has killed thousands of people and damaged economies by sending oil prices soaring.
Iranian state media said Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief Majid Khademi has died. Israel on Monday claimed responsibility for his death.
A US-Israeli attack hit the data center at the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, damaging the infrastructure that underpins the country's national artificial intelligence platform and thousands of other services, the Fars news agency said on Sunday.
Iran continues to fight back
The weekend's Iranian attacks on petrochemical facilities and an Israeli-linked ship in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates underscored the country's ability to fight back despite Trump's repeated claims to have destroyed its missile and drone capabilities.
Israel experienced an intense day of rocket launches on Monday, with sounds of sirens and missile interception explosions echoing across the country throughout the day.
The Israeli army said Reuters During the day there had been 20 missile launches from Lebanon and five from Iran. Several of the attacks resulted in hits, although it was unclear whether they were from falling missile debris or direct attacks.
A missile hit Haifa overnight, destroying a building and killing four people under the rubble, raising the death toll in Israel to 23, according to Israel's ambulance service.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said Monday they also carried out missile and drone attacks against Israel.
About 3,540 people have died in Iran in the war, including at least 244 children, the US-based human rights group HRANA said.
Israel also invaded southern Lebanon and attacked Beirut in a fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah that has become the most violent fallout of the war against Iran.
Heavy casualties in Lebanon include 1,461 dead, including at least 124 children, Lebanese authorities say.
Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed and hundreds more wounded.
