President Donald Trump on Monday said the latest US offer for a ceasefire with Iran is “not good enough” ahead of a looming deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face a major attack on civilian infrastructure.
“They made a proposal, and this is an important proposal. It’s an important step,” Trump told reporters during the traditional Easter egg roll on the South Lawn of the White House.
“It’s not enough, but it’s a very important step,” he said, adding: “They’re negotiating now and they’ve taken a very important step. Let’s see what happens.”
Later, at a White House press conference, President Trump reiterated his threat to attack Iran’s energy and transportation infrastructure at 8pm ET on Tuesday if the strait was not reopened.
Asked about the ceasefire agreement, President Trump told reporters: “I can tell you that there are active and willing participants on the other side.” “They hope they can do a deal. I can’t say anything more than that.”
But if a deal is not reached in time, Trump said, “We have a plan, because by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, our military power will destroy every bridge in Iran, every power plant in Iran will be shut down, on fire, and exploded, never to be used again.”
President Trump’s previous statements suggested that Iran itself had tabled the proposal, but Tehran explicitly rejected a temporary ceasefire and instead sought a path to a permanent end to the war.
According to a translated report by Iranian state media IRNA, Iran sent a 10-point official response to Pakistan, which acts as an intermediary between the US and Tehran, to the US, including a “Protocol for Safe Transit, Reconstruction, and Sanctions Lifting of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Since the war began on February 28, Iran has effectively closed the strait, a key corridor for oil shipments. The Islamic Republic’s parliament passed a bill last week formalizing tolls on ships passing through the waterway, but the route remains largely blocked.
Asked at a press conference on Monday if he would agree to end the war while Iran continues to collect tolls, Trump said: “What about we collect tolls?”
“We’d rather do that than let them have it, right? Why shouldn’t we? We’re winners. We won,” he said. “The only thing they have is the mentality of, ‘Oh, we’re going to drop some mines in the water.'”
Trump’s latest comments came after a White House official told CNBC on Monday morning that the president does not support a proposed 45-day ceasefire that was reportedly being discussed between the warring countries and regional mediators as of Sunday night.
Asked about the proposal at an Easter event, President Trump said, “I’m the only one setting up a ceasefire.”
The ceasefire has emerged as a last-ditch effort by Iran ahead of President Trump’s deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump on Sunday warned in a profanity-laced social media threat that the United States would launch attacks on Iranian bridges and power plants unless Tehran agrees to “open the fucking Strait” by Tuesday night.
The 45-day proposal could lead to an end to the five-week war, Axios first reported Sunday evening, citing sources familiar with the talks.
But a White House official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly on the issue, told CNBC on Monday morning that “this is one of many ideas that (President Trump) has not approved.”
“Operation Epic Fury continues,” the official said.
President Trump’s belligerent threat to the “Society of Truth” that Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day and Bridge Day rolled into one” marked an implicit extension of a previously imposed 10-day moratorium on attacks that was set to expire Monday.
