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Pakistan-Led Mediators Push 45-Day Cease-Fire to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

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Regional mediators pressed the United States and Iran on Monday to accept a proposed 45-day cease-fire that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch intensive talks on nuclear limits and sanctions relief, even as Tehran publicly rejected a temporary truce and President Donald Trump threatened massive new strikes if no deal is reached by his Tuesday deadline.nbcnews +2 The initiative, centered on a two-stage “Islamabad Accord,” envisioned an immediate halt to hostilities followed by 15–20 days of negotiations toward a permanent settlement.today

The proposal, drafted with Pakistan in a leading role and backed by Egypt and Turkey, sought to pause a six‑week U.S.-Israel air campaign that has killed nearly 1,900 people in Iran and more than 1,400 in Lebanon, while Iranian missiles and drones have left at least 23 dead in Israel and 13 U.S. service members killed.axios Both Washington and Tehran received the plan, but neither had formally endorsed it by late Monday, as crude prices hovered around $109 a barrel and commercial traffic through Hormuz remained down more than 90% from a year earlier.axios

What’s in the 45‑Day Truce Plan — and Why Iran Is Saying No

According to diplomats briefed on the talks, the draft calls for an immediate, mutual cease-fire and a phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil supplies normally pass.today +1 In return, Iran would begin to curb or ship out stocks of highly enriched uranium and accept tighter international monitoring in exchange for initial sanctions relief and steps toward unfreezing billions in overseas assets.today +1

Tehran has balked at the time limit, with senior envoy Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour insisting Iran “won’t merely accept a ceasefire” but wants an “end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”cbsnews Iranian officials have also rejected linking the reopening of Hormuz to a temporary truce, arguing that doing so would surrender leverage without securing durable security guarantees or legal assurances from the U.S. and Israel.cbsnews +1 Hard-liners in Tehran view the 45‑day window as an opportunity for their adversaries to regroup and potentially resume strikes from a stronger position.

Trump’s Ultimatum, Market Jitters, and Mediators’ Last Push

The cease-fire push unfolded under intense time pressure after Trump extended a previous ultimatum and set 8 p.m. ET Tuesday as the deadline for Iran to reopen Hormuz or face what he described as the destruction of “everything over there,” including power plants and bridges.nbcnews +1 While one White House official described the 45‑day proposal as “one of many ideas” under consideration, the Pentagon has drawn up options for large‑scale strikes and additional troop deployments from the 82nd Airborne Division, underscoring the risk of rapid escalation.reuters +1

Regional governments, particularly Gulf exporters whose economies depend on safe passage through Hormuz, have thrown their weight behind mediation led by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, with Oman and India also exploring roles.nbcnews +2 Energy markets have reacted to every twist: oil traders have priced in both the possibility of a breakthrough that could quickly re-open shipping lanes and the danger of a wider regional war that could disrupt supplies for months.axios +1 “All elements need to be agreed today,” one diplomat involved in the talks said, capturing the sense that a narrow window for compromise might be closing.today

The Bigger Picture

The clash over a 45‑day cease-fire has become a proxy for deeper disputes: Iran wants irreversible guarantees on security and sanctions relief, while Washington seeks verifiable limits on Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs and regional proxies before easing pressure.cbsnews +2 If mediators can bridge that gap in the coming hours, they could deliver a badly needed off‑ramp for a conflict already reshaping energy markets and security calculations across the Middle East; if not, Trump’s deadline and Iran’s refusal to reopen Hormuz under a short truce point toward a new and potentially far more destructive phase of the war.