Donald Trump Threatens Much Higher Level Bombing If Iran Rejects Peace Deal

President Donald Trump threatened that if Iran does not accept a peace deal, U.S. bombing would resume “at a much higher level,” after he paused the military operation to clear a path for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The Washington Post reported that Trump said Iran had already accepted at least parts of the U.S. proposal as the two governments continued to exchange documents via Pakistani mediators. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran was still reviewing the U.S. “framework” transmitted Sunday in reply to Iran’s latest 14-point plan. CBS News added that Trump said it was “too soon” for new direct talks with Iranian officials in Pakistan after reporting “great progress” in negotiations to end the war.

“United States President Donald Trump says he has had “very good talks” with Iran over the past 24 hours and it is “very possible that we will make a deal”, as Tehran reviews a US peace proposal that sources said would formally end the war”

Al Jazeera

As negotiations moved through Pakistani mediation, Mushahid Hussain Syed said “What is urgent is the Strait of Hormuz,” while “what is important is the nuclear issue,” describing a phased approach as “a positive sign.” The BBC reported that Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced the American proposal “is still under consideration,” with Ismail Bagheri saying that after consolidation Iran would convey its views to the Pakistani side. French President Emmanuel Macron told Masoud Pezeshkian that attacks on Emirati civilian infrastructure and ships near the Strait of Hormuz were “unjustified,” and he called for lifting the blockade “without delay and without conditions.” In parallel, the Washington Post said Trump announced on social media late Sunday that he was launching “Project Freedom,” then paused it Tuesday night to see whether “a Complete and Final Agreement” could be finalized and signed.

The Hill described a U.S. one-page proposal that would establish a framework for future talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, including a moratorium on nuclear enrichment and lifting sanctions and releasing “billions in frozen Iranian funds,” alongside both sides lifting restrictions on transit in the Strait of Hormuz. The Hill also said the Iranian navy laid mines in the strait, including on April 23, and that the restrictions had resulted in oil prices increasing around the world. Forbes reported that a U.S. Navy fighter jet fired multiple rounds at the M/T Hasna in the Gulf of Oman while the blockade of Iran’s ports “remains in full effect.” With the Strait of Hormuz still constrained, the Washington Post said more than 1,500 commercial ships were waiting to get through Iran’s closure of the critical waterway, and it quoted Baqaei saying there were “absolutely no details regarding the country’s nuclear issues in this proposal.”