Trump said Iran could face intensified bombing if it rejects a peace deal, while Washington awaits Tehran’s response on key terms.
President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that Iran would face bombing “at a much higher level and intensity” if it does not accept proposals aimed at ending the two-month U.S.-Iran war, even as he said a deal could soon bring the conflict to a close.
The warning came as diplomatic efforts appeared to accelerate. Axios reported that Washington expects Tehran to respond within 48 hours on several points that could form the basis of a one-page agreement. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry told CNBC that Tehran was evaluating a 14-article U.S. peace proposal.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that if Iran accepts the proposals, the war “will be at an end” and the Strait of Hormuz would be “OPEN TO ALL.” But he also said the conflict would escalate if Iran rejects the terms, writing that “the bombing starts” at a higher level than before.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for commercial shipping and energy flows, has been central to the standoff. Axios reported that the possible deal would include an Iranian moratorium on nuclear enrichment, U.S. sanctions relief and steps by both sides to pull back from controls on ship transits through the waterway. Many terms, CNBC reported, remain contingent on a final agreement between the two delegations.
Trump later told PBS that the war has a “very good chance of ending,” while adding that if it does not, the U.S. would return to bombing Iran.
Signals of progress have emerged through intermediaries. A Pakistani government official told MS NOW that proposals to end the war are “very likely in the coming days.” Pakistan has been helping the U.S. and Iran negotiate, according to the report cited by CNBC.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meeting Wednesday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said Tehran and Beijing reaffirmed Iran’s right to national sovereignty and dignity. In a post on X, Araghchi said Iran trusts China and wants to strengthen the countries’ strategic partnership.
Markets responded positively to reports that an agreement may be nearing. Oil prices fell sharply, while U.S. stock futures, European-listed equities and global sovereign bonds rallied.
The diplomatic opening follows a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 7. CNBC reported that earlier this week Iran attacked U.S. forces assisting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and launched fresh attacks on the United Arab Emirates, while the U.S. said it sank six small Iranian boats that attempted to interfere with commercial shipping.
Trump said Tuesday night that he was pausing “Project Freedom,” the U.S. military operation to guide ships out of the strait, to see whether a peace deal could be finalized. The next major test is whether Tehran’s expected response moves the talks closer to an agreement or sends both sides back toward open conflict.
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