Donald Trump Threatens Higher-Intensity Strikes Against Iran If Tehran Rejects Peace Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “higher level and intensity” strikes if Tehran does not accept a peace deal, while also saying it was “too soon” for new direct talks with Iranian officials in Pakistan after reporting “great progress” toward an end to the war. Trump said he was pausing Project Freedom, the U.S. effort to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz, after it lasted one day and two ships were led through the waterway. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday night that Operation Epic Fury was already over, adding “We achieved the objectives of that operation.” Iran had not reacted publicly to Trump’s latest remarks as the standoff continued over control of the strait, a vital shipping lane that has been gridlocked since the conflict began.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement Wednesday thanking captains and shipowners in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman “for complying with Iran's Strait of Hormuz regulations and contributing to regional maritime security.” In the same period, Trump posted that “If they don't agree, the bombing starts,” warning it would be at a “much higher level and intensity than it was before.” The White House also appeared to be moving toward a framework for negotiations, with Axios saying it expected Iranian responses on key points “in the next 48 hours” for a one-page memorandum of understanding. Axios reported that the one-page, 14-point memorandum would declare an end to the war and start a 30-day period of negotiations to open the strait, limit Iran’s nuclear program, and lift U.S. sanctions.

As the diplomatic window narrowed, multiple outlets described deadlines tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and threats to strike infrastructure. Al Jazeera’s report said Trump gave Tehran a deadline not to exceed 48 hours to reopen the Hormuz Strait fully and warned that the United States would begin striking Iranian power plants and destroying them once the deadline passed. Sky News Arabia reported Trump told The Wall Street Journal that “If they do nothing by Tuesday evening, they will have no power plants and no bridges standing.” The stakes were framed in terms of energy and navigation: the Guardian said the strait carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies, and it reported Brent crude tumbling 10% to $99 a barrel after Trump touted “great progress” and paused Project Freedom for “a short period.”