Update (10:41 am CST): A White House official said President Donald Trump has not approved a proposal drafted by other countries calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has rejected a temporary ceasefire and said it has prepared a response to U.S. demands to end the war
President Donald Trump has given Iran until Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as U.S. negotiators and regional mediators pursue a reported 45-day ceasefire that could head off a broader escalation.
On Easter Sunday, Trump posted that “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.” He then issued an expletive-laced warning demanding that Tehran reopen the waterway, adding in a later post: “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!”
Trump’s public warning came as talks remained active behind the scenes. In an interview with Axios, Trump said the U.S. is “in deep negotiations” with Iran and that a deal could still be reached before the deadline. “There is a good chance,” he said, “but if they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there.”
Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey are discussing a two-phase proposal that would begin with a 45-day ceasefire and open the door for broader talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile. Axios reported the chances of even a partial deal in the next 48 hours are slim, but mediators are treating the effort as the last clear chance to avoid a much larger conflict.
Fox News reported that Trump told correspondent Trey Yingst he believes there is “a good chance” of a deal by Monday, while warning that failure to act quickly would mean “you’re going to see bridges and power plants dropping all over their country.”
Sunday’s posts sharpened Trump’s earlier position. As The Dallas Express previously reported, Trump said on April 1 that the United States would continue military action until the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free, and clear.”
There is also recent precedent. As The Dallas Express previously reported, the United States struck three key Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — in June 2025 after months of similar public pressure and warnings from Trump that failure to reach a deal could trigger bombing “the likes of which they have never seen before.”
Later Sunday, the White House announced that Trump would hold an Oval Office news conference Monday alongside military leaders. Trump had already set the new deadline at Tuesday, 8 p.m. Eastern in a Truth Social post.
TOMORROW 🇺🇸
President Donald J. Trump joins the military in the Oval Office for a news conference.
American strength. Full display. Don’t miss it. pic.twitter.com/5yJpErS0wz
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 5, 2026
The war has already disrupted global markets and driven up fuel prices, with any prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatening one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
Going into the week, talks remain underway, mediators are pressing for at least a temporary ceasefire, the White House is preparing a military-linked appearance Monday, and Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern remains Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — or face renewed strikes on infrastructure.
