Iran Given 48-Hour Deadline to Reach Deal Amid US Pilot Search

US President Donald Trump has issued a new threat to Iran, stating that the country has two days to either make a deal or open up the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT.” The 10-day deadline was announced on March 26 and is set to expire on Monday.

Trump’s post did not reference the ongoing search for a US pilot who is believed to have ejected over Iran after an F-15 fighter jet crashed in the country. However, he had previously called on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to international traffic, or else face the “destruction” of its energy plants.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran remains open to diplomacy, but rejected an “unreasonable” 15-point plan put forward by the Trump administration. The US has argued that Iran’s demand for sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is a non-starter.

Pakistan has indicated it will continue to support ceasefire negotiations despite ongoing obstacles. Experts have warned that the possible Iranian capture of the pilot could create a crisis for Washington, giving Tehran a major leverage point in negotiations.

In recent days, Trump has pledged to attack Iran’s power plants, oil facilities, and possibly all desalination plants. He has also threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages” and cheered a strike on a bridge that connects Tehran to the Caspian Sea.

Source: Al Jazeera