Ceasefire agreement "hope fading"? US and Iran issue "final warnings": Trump "only about 20 hours left," US energy strikes may already be prepared!

The Iran-Iraq ceasefire talks rapidly deteriorated before the deadline, with both sides issuing tough ultimatums in sync. Market alarms were fully sounded, and international oil prices climbed to above $110 per barrel.

According to Xinhua News Agency, on April 6, the U.S. daily newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported that mediators were pessimistic about Iran’s “yielding” to a last deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The report said the Iran-U.S. ceasefire agreement’s “hope is fading.” The report noted that some U.S. officials said that before the last deadline set by Trump at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the 7th arrives, the Iran-U.S. positions are “too far apart to narrow.”

Meanwhile, according to a CCTV report on the morning news, on the 7th, Iran’s parliamentary speaker’s adviser Mehdi Mohammadi said on social media that Iran has clearly already won the war, and would only accept such an end-war scenario: consolidating the results achieved and establishing a new security system in the region. U.S. President Trump now has only about 20 hours to either yield to Iran, or his allies will roll back to the Stone Age. “We will never back down!”

According to CCTV News, during a press conference on April 6, Trump used tough language, threatening to destroy all bridges and power plants in Iran before midnight Eastern Time on the 7th, and said, “That night could be the evening of April 7.” According to the latest reports from U.S. media, two people familiar with the matter said that the plan for the joint massive airstrike by the U.S. and Israel on Iran’s energy facilities is already in place, and is standing by, awaiting Trump’s order.

As the Strait of Hormuz blockade continues, global energy markets remain under sustained pressure. On the 7th, Brent crude oil futures rose 0.4% to $110.19 per barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose 2.8% to $115.31 per barrel. The Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supply; its continued shutdown has already triggered inflation concerns worldwide.

With the talks looking bleak, will Trump do TACO again?

According to reports, Iran has rejected the U.S. ceasefire proposal mediated by Pakistan. The proposal asks Iran to immediately cease hostilities and lift the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and then within 15 to 20 days initiate broader peace talks. Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that Iran put forward a response including 10 clauses, covering demands such as ending regional conflict, establishing a secure passage agreement for the Strait of Hormuz, lifting sanctions, and post-war reconstruction.

According to reports, a U.S. official characterized Iran’s response as “maximizing demands,” but the White House sees it as a bargaining chip rather than a flat rejection. Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey have told the White House that they are consulting with Iran on revisions to the clauses, and they cautioned that Iran’s decision-making process is relatively slow and that the deadline may need to be extended. Citing Arab officials familiar with the situation, the media said that Iranian officials have told mediators that even if negotiations make progress, they still expect the U.S. to continue launching attacks on Iran, and Israel would also continue airstrikes to “clear out” senior Iranian officials.

According to reports citing U.S. officials, Trump is privately “less optimistic” about reaching an agreement, and is expected to issue the final strike order on the evening of the 7th Eastern Time, but his thinking may be adjusted at any time as the situation evolves.

A senior government official told the media: “If the president believes an agreement is about to be reached, he may delay the deadline extension. But only he can make this decision.” A Defense Department official said they “doubt” whether the deadline will be extended again.

Another U.S. source close to Trump said:

“If Trump can get an agreement, he would accept it, but it’s not yet clear whether Iran is ready. By 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, the situation will be extremely tense.”

Trump takes a hard-line stance, and divisions emerge within the top ranks

At a press conference, Trump laid out the strike plan in detail: “We have a plan in which every bridge in Iran will be destroyed before midnight tomorrow, every power plant will be shut down, burned, exploded, and never used again. The entire process takes only four hours.” He added that he “doesn’t want this to happen,” and said talks are “going smoothly,” with an “encouraging, willing to engage” and “sincere” counterpart on the other side.

According to media reports citing multiple officials and people familiar with Trump’s views who directly understood the diplomatic process, Trump may be the most hard-line person toward Iran within his top circle. One U.S. official said that compared with Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “sound like doves.” Trump has begun asking for input from advisers and close associates, and has privately referred to the plan to strike Iran’s power plants and bridges as “Infrastructure Day.”

Internal disagreements also emerged in parallel. Trump’s negotiating team—Vice President JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner—leans toward prioritizing securing an agreement. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and Senator Lindsey Graham urged Trump that unless Iran makes major concessions—such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz or giving up all highly enriched uranium—he should not agree to a ceasefire. These conditions are currently seen as nearly impossible to meet.

Iran fires back hard, and domestic mobilization escalates

According to a CCTV report, on the 7th, Iran’s parliamentary speaker’s adviser Mehdi Mohammadi claimed that Iran has “clearly already won the war,” accepting only one end-war scenario: consolidating the results achieved and establishing a new security system in the region. Iran’s domestic resistance mobilization has also escalated in sync.

Iran’s deputy minister of sport Alireza Rahimi called on artists and athletes to form human chains at power plants across the country on the 7th. Iran’s top military command said Trump is “overfantasizing.” Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations classified Trump’s strike threats as “direct incitement of terrorism—clear evidence, under international law, of an intent to commit war crimes.”

Trump disregarded the above criticism, denied that strikes on Iran’s power plants constitute war crimes, and said he is “not the least bit concerned.”

The Hormuz blockade continues, and oil prices swing at high levels

The Strait of Hormuz has become Iran’s most intimidating bargaining chip. This key shipping route carries about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supply, and Iran’s stance toward giving up this card is clearly negative. As the deadline nears, oil prices stay elevated. On the 7th, Brent crude oil futures were reported at $110.19 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures were reported at $113.31 per barrel.

On the regional security front, on the 7th Saudi Arabia intercepted ballistic missiles headed for its eastern regions, with debris falling near energy facilities. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain then issued public safety alerts in sync. Israel’s military said it has completed a new round of airstrike actions against Iran’s Tehran and other regional government infrastructure, and activated air defense systems to intercept missiles coming from Iran.

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