Trump again extends the ultimatum to Iran, now until April 6: "Negotiations are going very well"

WashingtonLess than 24 hours before the ultimatum Donald Trump had issued to Iran expired, the president has extended it by ten more days. The magnate postpones his threat to attack the country's electrical infrastructure until April 6 at 8 p.m. Washington time, if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz beforehand. The decision was communicated via Truth Social, where he published a message "at the request of the Iranian government" as a "proof" that he will not escalate the offensive until the agreed date. Despite the regime having repeatedly denied any type of dialogue with the United States, the US president has presented the new deadline as if it were a request from his interlocutors and has assured that the talks "are going well." "Negotiations are ongoing and, despite erroneous declarations to the contrary by "Fake News" media and others, they are going very well," he wrote this Thursday afternoon.

The extension of the ultimatum against 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 about 7,000 additional soldiers in the region: two MEU units, (Marine Expeditionary Unit, in English) of about 2,200 troops each, and elite paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division. The latter are prepared to be on-site within 18 hours, and the marines aboard 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 area and be able to act if necessary.

These comings and goings in threats and the timing 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 28th. While negotiations with the ayatollahs in Switzerland were being prolonged and Trump sent confusing threats to Truth Social, the president gained precious time for the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, and later 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 Iranians to trust the word of the Americans. Especially, after this Thursday the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, once again defended the "diplomacy of bombs".

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, "we will continue to annihilate them".

But the truth is that one of the issues that is most affecting Trump in this conflict —now about to complete a month— is the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the Brent crude barrel to rise to historic highs since 2022. Recently, Tehran has allowed ten Pakistani-flagged 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 this maritime passage.

Pakistan, along with Turkey and Egypt, is one of the states serving as a bridge between the two sides. 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 conveyed 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 possible negotiator for "vis a vis" negotiations with members of the regime. 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 is important for the American people to understand why. These are options to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon," he said.