- Trump claims talks with Iran are ‘going very well’.
- Iranian official rejects US peace proposal as ‘unfair’.
- WSJ citing mediators as saying: Iran has not asked for a pause.
DUBAI/TEL AVIV/WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump announced he will halt attacks on Iran’s energy facilities for 10 days at Tehran’s request, saying talks with Iran were going “very well”, even as an Iranian official dismissed a US proposal to end the conflict as “one-sided and unfair”.
The war has killed thousands of people, spread to neighboring countries and hit the global economy with soaring energy prices since the US and Israel launched strikes on February 28 after talks over Tehran’s nuclear program failed to produce a deal.
On Thursday, during a White House cabinet meeting, Trump threatened to increase pressure on Iran if it did not make a deal, before later posting on social media that he would pause attacks on Iranian energy facilities for 10 days until April 6, 2026 at 10 p.m. 2000 EDT (0000 GMT on April 7).
“Talks are ongoing and despite false statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media and others, they are going very well,” he added in his Truth Social post.
He told later Fox News’ “The Five” program, which the Iranians had asked for a seven-day pause. There was no immediate reaction from Tehran.
Iran has not asked for a 10-day pause in strikes at its energy plants The Wall Street Journal quoted peace negotiators as saying.
Drone speedboats
The war has massively disrupted shipping, sent crude prices up about 40% and caused a roughly two-thirds increase in shipments of liquefied natural gas to Asia. The prices of nitrogen-based fertilizers, which are essential for food production, have increased by around 50%.
Despite Trump’s positive assessment, Iran continued to retaliate against US and Israeli attacks by hitting Israel and US bases; it also hit the Gulf states, effectively blocking Middle East fuel exports via the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States has deployed unmanned drone speedboats on patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon told Reuters, the first time Washington has confirmed it has used such vessels in an active conflict.
Trump said the United States would become the Islamic Republic’s “worst nightmare” if it does not comply with US demands, which include opening the strait and ending Tehran’s nuclear program.
He said taking control of Iran’s oil was an option, but he did not give details.
The Iranian official said so Reuters that a 15-point US proposal, conveyed to Tehran by Pakistan, was reviewed in detail Wednesday by senior Iranian officials and the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Although they believed it served only American and Israeli interests, the diplomacy was not over, the official said.
However, the fighting continued to rage.
On Thursday, Iran fired several waves of missiles at Israel, hitting Tel Aviv, Haifa and other areas, including a Palestinian city in central Israel.
At least one ballistic missile hit Tel Aviv, according to Israel’s military, while others carried cluster munitions that scattered smaller explosives and damaged homes and cars.
Israel’s ambulance service said a man was killed in Nahariya after Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at the northern city.
In Iran, attacks hit the southern city of Bandar Abbas and a village on the outskirts of the southern city of Shiraz. A university building in Isfahan was reported to have been hit.
The Strait of Hormuz a crucial issue
Trump suggested Thursday that Iran let 10 oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture in the talks, including some Pakistani-flagged vessels.
The president has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East, some of which have already arrived, fueling expectations of a ground invasion, although details remain scant.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed that the US had sent a “15-point action list” as a basis for negotiations to end the war.
It includes demands ranging from dismantling Iran’s nuclear program to curbing its missiles and effectively handing over control of the Strait, according to sources and reports.
Pakistan’s foreign minister said “indirect talks” between the US and Iran were taking place through messages relayed by Islamabad, with other states including Turkey and Egypt also supporting mediation efforts.
Any conversation seems to become extremely difficult.
Iran has hardened its stance since the war began, demanding guarantees against future military action, compensation for losses and formal control of the strait, Iranian sources said.
It also told mediators that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire deal, regional sources said.
Trump has not identified who the US is negotiating with in Iran, with many senior officials among the thousands of people killed in the war across the Middle East.
