Iran has delivered a response to Washington’s proposal for ending the five week old war, making clear that it will not accept a mere pause in hostilities that leaves the root causes of the conflict unaddressed. Through Pakistani intermediaries, Tehran conveyed a ten clause counterproposal that insists on a comprehensive and permanent end to the war, rather than the temporary ceasefire favoured by the Trump administration. The Iranian response, delivered to US officials via Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan, who maintained intensive contacts with both sides overnight, outlines a vision for regional stability that includes an end to all conflicts across the region, a legally binding protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the complete lifting of all sanctions, and a framework for post‑war reconstruction. “What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting end to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has repeatedly emphasised, a position that was formalised in the ten‑point document. The proposal reflects Tehran’s view that a temporary ceasefire would merely allow the United States and Israel to regroup, rearm, and resume their aggression at a time of their choosing. From Iran’s perspective, any agreement that does not guarantee a permanent cessation of hostilities is not a peace plan but a tactical trap.
President Donald Trump, who has made a habit of extending his own deadlines while claiming to be imposing them on Tehran, on Monday dismissed Iran’s proposal as “significant but not good enough”. Speaking at an annual White House Easter event, Trump told reporters that while Iran had made “a significant proposal”, it fell short of his demands. He reiterated his threat to unleash what he has described as “hell” on Tehran if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is not reached by Tuesday, 8 April at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. This latest deadline represents the fourth extension since Trump first issued his ultimatum nearly two weeks ago, a pattern that has led many observers to question the seriousness of Washington’s negotiating posture. In a social media post laden with expletives on Sunday, Trump threatened further strikes on Iranian energy and transport infrastructure, branding Tuesday as “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran”. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the Pakistani brokered framework was “one of many ideas” and that “Operation Epic Fury continues”.
Even as diplomatic channels remained open, US and Israeli warplanes continued their relentless bombardment of Iranian civilian infrastructure. In the early hours of Monday, a joint strike targeted the data centre at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, one of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the attack damaged the university’s data centre, which serves as the backbone for Iran’s national artificial intelligence platform and supports thousands of other essential services. Footage broadcast by Iranian media showed extensive destruction at the site, with twisted metal, debris and damaged structures scattered across the compound. The strike also damaged the university’s mosque and several laboratories, showing the pattern of attacks on non military targets that has characterised this conflict. In a separate development, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its intelligence chief, Major General Majid Khademi, had been “martyred” in a US‑Israeli strike at dawn on Monday. Khademi, who had led the IRGC’s intelligence organisation since June 2025 following the assassination of his predecessor in an Israeli strike, was a decorated officer with nearly five decades of service. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz and the Israel Defense Forces quickly claimed responsibility for the killing, confirming that the targeting of senior Iranian officials remains a deliberate component of their military strategy.
Iran has so far demonstrated its ability to strike back effectively. Over the weekend, Iranian drones and missiles targeted petrochemical facilities and critical infrastructure across the Gulf, hitting sites in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the strikes, which ignited major fires at the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company in Bahrain, the Shuaiba petrochemical facility in Kuwait, and several installations in the UAE. The attacks were explicitly framed as retaliation for US‑Israeli strikes on civilian sites inside Iran, including the B1 Bridge in Karaj and a petrochemical complex in Mahshahr. The IRGC warned that the second phase of its operations would be “more devastating” if Washington and Tel Aviv continued to target Iranian civilian infrastructure. Meanwhile, Israel itself has not escaped the reach of Iranian retaliation. On Sunday night, a ballistic missile fired from Iran struck a six‑storey residential building in the coastal city of Haifa, tearing the structure apart and killing at least four people. Rescue teams continued to search for additional victims trapped beneath the rubble. Throughout Monday, Israel experienced a heavy barrage of rocket and missile fire, with 20 launches reported from Lebanon and five from Iran, according to the Israeli military. Yemen’s Houthi movement also announced that it had carried out a coordinated attack on Israel, targeting Ben Gurion Airport and other strategic sites using ballistic missiles and drones. This coordinated resistance across multiple fronts serves as a powerful reminder that Iran is not alone in its confrontation with the US‑Israeli axis.
As the conflict enters its sixth week, the human toll continues to mount. According to HRANA, a US‑based rights group, approximately 3,540 people have been killed in Iran, including at least 244 children. In Lebanon, where Israel has invaded the south and struck Beirut in its campaign against Hezbollah, at least 1,461 people have lost their lives, including 124 children. Thirteen US service members have also been confirmed dead, with hundreds more wounded. Global energy markets remain in turmoil, with Brent crude futures trading at $109.60 per barrel, a direct consequence of the near‑total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which in peacetime carries approximately one‑fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran has made clear that it will not relinquish this strategic leverage in exchange for a temporary ceasefire that fails to address the underlying injustices of the war. “Tehran’s demands should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.