Iran says won’t open Hormuz for temporary truce after Pakistan proposes 45-day ceasefire

Sources say draft proposal suggests immediate ceasefire, reopening of crucial waterway, followed by talks; White House official says it’s one of many ideas and Trump has not signed off on it

Iran indicated on Monday that it would not be prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for anything less than a permanent ceasefire, after it and the United States received a draft proposal calling for a 45-day temporary truce and the immediate reopening of the crucial waterway.

The draft proposal, drawn up by Egyptian, Pakistani, and Turkish mediators, emerged from intense overnight contacts and proposes an immediate ceasefire, followed by negotiations on a broader settlement to be concluded within 15 to 20 days, a source aware of the proposals said earlier on Monday.

The mediating countries are hoping that the 45-day window would provide enough time for talks to reach a permanent ceasefire while avoiding US President Donald Trump’s threat to rain “hell” on Tehran if it did not make a deal by the end of Tuesday from coming to fruition.

The draft proposal was sent to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, two Middle Eastern officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was in contact “all night long” with the two of them, as well as with US Vice President JD Vance, a source aware of the proposals told Reuters.

The deal, tentatively dubbed the “Islamabad Accord,” would include a regional framework for the Strait, with final in-person talks in Islamabad.

The final agreement would also be expected to include Iranian commitments not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets, the source said.

Addressing the reports, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry said on Monday that the regime had formulated its positions and demands in response to recent proposals, and that it viewed negotiations as “incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes,” referring to Trump.

The spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Tehran has a set of requirements based on its national interests that have already been conveyed via intermediary channels, adding that earlier US demands, such as the 15-point plan it proposed last month, were rejected for being “excessive.”

“Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions,” Baghaei said in a press conference.

“We have formulated our own responses” and will announce details in due time, he added, in response to an Iranian journalist’s question regarding ongoing ceasefire efforts.

‘A new Gulf order’

A senior Iranian official, meanwhile, told Reuters that the Islamic Republic would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of a temporary ceasefire, nor would it accept deadlines or pressure to reach a deal.

Washington was not ready for a permanent ceasefire, the official claimed.

In a post laden with expletives on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump threatened further strikes on Iranian energy and transport infrastructure if Iran failed to make a deal and reopen the Strait by Tuesday.

Iran has allowed only limited traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on February 28, disrupting the flow of roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas.

Even when it does eventually reopen the strait, Iran has said it does not intend for it to operate as it had prior to the outbreak of war with the US and Israel on February 28.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Monday that its navy was “completing operational preparations” for a “new Gulf order.”

Conditions in the strait “will never return to its former status, especially for the US and Israel,” it declared.

This prospect was unlikely to be received well by others in the region who rely on access to the Strait of Hormuz.

Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, said on Monday that any settlement must guarantee access through Hormuz.

He warned that a deal that failed to rein in Iran’s nuclear program and its missiles and drones would pave the way for “a more dangerous, more volatile Middle East.”

Concerns of escalation

The US had not publicly commented on the proposal as of Monday afternoon, but a White House official told Reuters that Trump would address the matter at a press conference at 1 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Israel time).

“This is one of many ideas, and (Trump) has not signed off on it. Operation Epic Fury continues,” they said, referring to Washington’s name for the joint US-Israeli operation against Iran.

The international community has urged Washington and Tehran to come to an agreement on a ceasefire, fearing the likely escalation if they fail to do so.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in a phone call with his Japanese counterpart, called for “urgent de-escalation” across the region.

Dar “reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting all initiatives aimed at de-escalation and the achievement of lasting peace and stability,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.

European Council President António Costa warned Monday, in what appeared to be a veiled remark on Trump’s threats, that an “escalation will not achieve a ceasefire and peace.”

“Only negotiations will, namely the ongoing efforts led by regional partners,” he added in the statement posted on X.

“Any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable,” Costa reiterated. “The Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime. It would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.