Trump Warns Iran: No Deal, No Reprieve - Hormuz Deadline Stands

US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that the Tuesday deadline for Tehran to agree to free passage through the Strait of Hormuz is final. Failure to comply will result in US strikes on Iranian infrastructure, he emphasized.

On Monday, Trump described an Iranian proposal aimed at ending the conflict as 'a significant step' but insufficient to avert US action. The proposal, which includes 10 clauses such as an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction, was conveyed to the US via intermediaries.

The Iranian proposal was put forward after Pakistan suggested a 45-day ceasefire, which Iran reportedly rejected, seeking a permanent end to hostilities instead. Iran's diplomatic mission head in Cairo, Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, stressed that Tehran would only accept an end to the war with guarantees that it wouldn't be attacked again.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which about 20% of the world's oil supplies pass, has been a focal point of the conflict. Trump's threat to destroy Iranian infrastructure unless the strait is reopened has caused oil prices to surge and shaken the global economy.

Earlier on Monday, Israel struck a key petrochemical plant in Iran's South Pars gas field, killing two commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Israel claimed responsibility for the strike, which appeared separate from Trump's threats.

The White House confirmed that a ceasefire proposal was under consideration but stated that Trump had 'not signed off' on it. The conflict, sparked by Israeli and US attacks on Iran on February 28, has seen Iran fire missiles at targets across the Middle East.

Trump has been vocal about his stance, suggesting that Iran's leaders are 'animals' who have killed tens of thousands of protesters and expressing that he is 'highly unlikely' to postpone the deadline. When asked about concerns that attacks on infrastructure could be classified as war crimes, Trump responded that he is 'not worried about it,' emphasizing that allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon would be a greater war crime.