Amid a volley of deadlines being announced by US President Donald Trump, a report has claimed that Washington, Iran and regional mediators are discussing a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war.
Per the Axios report, which quotes four US, Israeli and regional sources, the hopes of a partial deal in the next 48 hours, a timeline within which Trump's threat to hit Iran's infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened, are slim.
Mediators from Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt are taking part in the negotiations, which also involving communication through text messages sent between Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Sources added that the deal, if it goes through, will be two-phased. The first phase will be a 45-day ceasefire during which time a permanent end to the war will be mediated. The second phase would ideally entail an agreement to end the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliation.
Further, the report quoted Trump as saying that the US is in deep negotations with Iran and a deal is likely before his Tuesday deadline. "There is a good chance, but if they don't make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there," he said. With the US President aiming to give a last chance to the ceasefire deal, the operation plan for a massive US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran is at the ready, but on hold, sources added.
The report added that the Trump administration's multiple proposals to Iran in recent days have not been accepted. Sources said the only result of the final deal could be the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a solution for Iran's uranium stock - entailing either its dilution or removal from the country. Confidence-building measures to bring both these terms, considered the main bargaining chips, into effect are in the works.
The Iranian officials stressed that mediators don't want to be caught in a Gaza or Lebanon situation where there is a ceasefire on paper, but the US and Israel attack again whenever they want to, per the Axios report.
In an expletive-laden post on social media, Trump threatened to hit Iran's critical infrastructure, including power plants, bridges and water facilities if his 10-day deadline issued on March 26 to open the critical marine chokepoint is not met. He then extended the deadline to Tuesday, 8 pm Eastern Time.
He threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran, and also praised US special forces who rescued an airman in a high-risk mission from deep inside Iran.
The US and Israel have pounded Iran with missiles and airstrikes for more than five weeks to destroy what they said was an imminent threat from the country's nuclear weapon development programme, ballistic missile arsenal and support for regional proxy militias.
Tehran is demanding an end to hostilities and its parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf condemned Trump's threats, saying he was being misled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu's commands," he posted Sunday on X.
Showing it still had fight despite the US-Israeli pounding, Iran expanded attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, launching drone and missile strikes on petrochemical facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The Revolutionary Guards also said on Sunday they hit an Israeli-linked vessel at Dubai's Jebel Ali port.
In Kuwait, drones sparked fires and caused "severe material damage" at petrochemical plants operated by affiliates of state oil firm Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the company said.
The war has killed thousands of people so far, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.