Iran and the US have been presented with a temporary ceasefire proposal that could be signed off today, news agencies report, as IRGC‑linked media dismiss the notion of a short‑term truce ‘under the shadow of war’
The proposal reportedly includes a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A dramatic two-tier ceasefire proposal that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz could take effect today, according to reports.
Iran and the US have been presented with a framework – tentatively dubbed the “Islamabad Accord” – drawn up by Pakistan, which sources have told news agencies could be signed off today (Monday). The proposal outlines a two-tier approach, including a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, two officials told the Associated Press.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has reportedly been in contact with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Under the reported proposal, in-person talks would be held in Islamabad, with 15 to 20 days set aside to hammer out a broader settlement.
Claims of progress from mediators came as oil prices climbed on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark – up 1.86 per cent to over $112 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent crude rose above $110.
American outlet Axios reported on Sunday that the US, Iran and regional mediators were discussing a 45-day ceasefire as part of a two-phase effort to end the war.
However, an analysis published on Monday by the Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), dismissed the temporary truce.
The report said a 45-day truce “under the shadow of war” has no place in Iran’s policy. Tehran has repeatedly rejected temporary truces, arguing that pauses leave open the possibility of future attacks. The report said a truce would allow the US and Israel to regroup and rearm while keeping Iran under threat.
It added that, under Iran’s framework, the war can end only with firm guarantees against further US and Israeli strikes. “The matter of the new order regarding the Strait of Hormuz is self-evident; this strait will never return to the conditions that existed before the war,” the report stated.
It comes after Donald Trump made expletive-filled threats against Iran and its infrastructure if the country fails to open the key shipping route by his stated deadline of Tuesday 8pm ET (Wednesday 1am BST).
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. “There will be nothing like it!!!”
Trump appears to have extended the deadline again, having initially set it for Monday (April 6) after posting on Saturday (April 4) that Iran had “48 hours” to make a deal. That original deadline had already been pushed back by 10 days in late March.
Meanwhile, Iran has struck infrastructure targets in neighbouring Gulf countries and threatened to restrict another heavily used waterway – the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Arabian Peninsula.
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