Trump again extends ultimatum to Iran while sending more soldiers to the Middle East

WashingtonWith less than 24 hours remaining until the ultimatum imposed by Donald Trump on Iran expired, the US president has extended it by ten more days. The magnate postpones his threat to attack the country's electrical infrastructure until April 6th at 8 PM Washington time, if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz beforehand. The decision was communicated through Truth Social, where he published a message "at the request of the Iranian government" as "proof" that he will not escalate the offensive until the agreed-upon date. Despite the Iranian regime having repeatedly denied any type of dialogue with the United States, the US president has presented the new deadline as a request from his interlocutors and has assured that the conversations "are going well". "Negotiations are ongoing and, despite erroneous reports to the contrary from the "}fake news media and others, they are going very well.

The postponement of the ultimatum to the ayatollah regime comes at a time when the United States is reinforcing its military presence in the region. At this point, the Pentagon has already mobilized approximately 7,000 additional soldiers in the region: two MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) marine units of about 2,200 personnel each, and the elite paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division. The latter are prepared to be on-site within 18 hours, and the marines on board the amphibious ships USS Tripoli and USS New Orleans are scheduled to arrive this Friday, just as the first extension of the ultimatum was expiring. The other contingent, aboard the USS Boxer, still has a few weeks of sailing to reach the location and be able to act if necessary. Furthermore, according to The Wall Street Journal

, the Pentagon is considering the option of sending 10,000 more soldiers to the region, including ground troops.These comings and goings in threats and the timelines set by the White House are very reminiscent of the months leading up to the war. The president spent a month and a half sending contradictory messages against the regime, while taking the opportunity to build the military deployment he would later use to attack Iran on February 28. While negotiations with the ayatollahs in Switzerland were being prolonged and Trump sent confused threats via Truth Social, the president gained precious time for the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" and then the "Gerald Ford" to gain positions. With this precedent, and taking into account that both times Washington has attacked Iran the two countries were negotiating, it is difficult for the Iranians to trust the word of the Americans. Especially, after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth once again defended the "diplomacy of bombs" this Thursday.

Hegseth made these statements during the first cabinet meeting the government has held since the war began. Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were the two figures flanking Trump this morning during the meeting. Once again, the Republican insisted that the enemy had "been defeated" and that "it is begging for a deal." With these words, he added (at least, for show) even more pressure on the regime to accept his peace plan, warning them that if they did not, they would continue to be "annihilated."

But the truth is that one of the issues that is most splashing Trump in this conflict – now about to complete a month – is the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the price of a Brent barrel to rise to its highest since 2022. Recently, Tehran has allowed ten Pakistani-flagged oil tankers to pass through this maritime bottleneck. The Republican has wanted to interpret this as a sign that the Iranians want to negotiate and has called it a "gift" from Tehran. The regime, however, has long said it will allow all ships from countries "not hostile" to Tehran to navigate through this maritime passage.

Pakistan, along with Turkey and Egypt, is one of the countries serving as a bridge between the two sides. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed this Thursday that the Americans are negotiating with the Iranians through Pakistani diplomatic channels and that it was they who delivered the 15-point proposal to Iran. A plan that the regime publicly rejected with a clear statement: "Do not call your defeat an agreement."

The White House's narrative continues to be that Iran's capabilities have been "practically destroyed." Vice President JD Vance, who has barely spoken since the conflict began, has emerged as Washington's potential negotiator for vis-a-vis negotiations with regime members. Vance has admitted that there are conversations and possible avenues for negotiation, but has insisted that any decision will be aimed at ensuring Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. "When we talk about options, it's important for the American people to understand what for. They are options to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon," he said.