Trump's Negotiators Struggle to Reach Ceasefire Agreement with Iran – Axios

Negotiations between the United States and Iran, which are being conducted with the goal of reaching a ceasefire agreement, are on the verge of failure, raising serious concerns regarding a possible escalation of conflict in the Middle East. According to Axios, citing sources in the U.S., Israel, and the region, the administration of President Donald Trump has already presented several proposals to the Iranian side, but Tehran has refused to accept them.

In recent days, active negotiations have taken place, and according to Axios, the deadline set by Trump for Iran is set to expire on Monday evening. However, in light of the lack of progress in the negotiations, the U.S. president has decided to extend this deadline by another 20 hours, until Tuesday evening. This indicates that the situation remains tense, and the chances of reaching an agreement in the next 48 hours appear slim.

Axios sources indicate that this latest attempt represents the only chance to avoid a large-scale escalation of war, which could involve massive strikes on Iran's civilian infrastructure, as well as retaliatory strikes on energy and desalination facilities in several Gulf countries. Trump commented on the situation, stating, "There are good chances, but if they do not reach an agreement, I will blow everything up there."

According to information from two sources, an operational plan for a large-scale U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign against Iranian energy facilities is already fully prepared for implementation. This underscores the seriousness of the intentions of the U.S. and its allies should the negotiations fail to yield results.

The negotiations involve mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, as well as through text message exchanges between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The mediators are attempting to discuss the terms of a two-phase agreement, where the first phase entails a 45-day ceasefire during which the parties would negotiate a final end to the war. The second phase involves reaching an agreement to conclude the war.

It is important to note that Iran's main bargaining chips in the negotiations are control over the Strait of Hormuz and its stockpile of enriched uranium. Iranian representatives are not willing to relinquish these crucial elements even for the sake of a temporary truce. Sources indicate that mediators are trying to ascertain whether Iran could make partial concessions on these issues during the first phase of the agreement. They are also working on potential steps that the Trump administration could take to provide Iran with assurances that the ceasefire would not be temporary and that the war would not resume.

Iranian officials continue to maintain a hardline stance and reject any concessions. The naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran stated on Sunday that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz "will never return" to the state that existed before the war, especially for the U.S. and Israel.

It is worth recalling that Axios reported on April 1 that the U.S. and Iran were discussing a potential agreement that would involve a ceasefire in exchange for Tehran's reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. On April 3, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with new strikes on infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if the negotiations did not succeed.