US President Donald Trump appeared to extend his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 24 hours on Sunday (April 5), setting a new deadline.
“Tuesday, 8pm EST!” Trump posted this on Truth Social.
The revised timeline gives Iran another window to reach a deal or face potential US strikes on critical infrastructure.
The threat of devastating infrastructure attacks
Trump repeated his warning that failure to comply would lead to widespread destruction.
“We are in a position that is very strong and it will take 20 years to rebuild this country if they are lucky,” he was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal, according to AFP.
“And if they don’t do something by Tuesday night, they’re going to have no power plants and they’re going to have no bridges.”
The Hormuz crisis at the center
The Strait of Hormuz – a key global oil and gas shipping route – has been effectively blocked by Iran since the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign on 28 February.
The disruption raised global energy concerns and heightened geopolitical tensions.
“Good chance” of a deal, but stark warning remains
In an interview with Fox News, Trump struck a more optimistic tone on diplomacy.
“I think tomorrow is a good chance, they are negotiating now,” he said.
But he combined this optimism with a new threat:
“If they don’t come to an agreement and quickly, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil.”
“Deep negotiations” are underway.
Trump also told Axios that the US is engaged in “deep negotiations” with Iran ahead of the deadline.
“There’s a good chance, but if they don’t agree, I’m going to blow everything up there,” he said.
Asked about civilian risks, Trump added: “They live in fear. They’re afraid we’re going to leave in the middle of a war, but we’re not going to leave.”
“Very little ban” if talks fail
In an interview with ABC News, Trump warned that US action could escalate sharply without a deal.
The conflict should end in “days, not weeks,” he said, but added that if negotiations collapsed, “very few” would be banned.
Allegations of arming Iranian protesters
Trump also made controversial claims about US involvement in Iran’s internal unrest.
“We sent weapons to the protesters, a lot of them… And I think the Kurds took the weapons,” he reportedly told Fox News.
There is no independent confirmation of this claim.
Protests and repression
Anti-government protests in Iran, initially sparked by economic grievances, have escalated into wider unrest and been met with a crackdown.
Casualty figures remain disputed, with no official confirmation from Iranian authorities.
High diplomacy versus escalation
With the extended deadline approaching, the situation remains very volatile.
Trump’s message reflects a dual strategy — signaling openness to a deal while maintaining the threat of large-scale military action — leaving the coming hours critical in deciding whether diplomacy will prevail or the conflict will escalate further.
