Iran rejects ceasefire as Trump ramps up threats ahead of deadline

(Reuters)

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 6- Iran said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the U.S. and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while ​U.S. President Donald Trump warned the country could be “taken out” if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal.

Responding to a U.S. proposal through mediator Pakistan, Tehran rejected a ceasefire and ‌said a permanent end to the war was necessary, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The Iranian response consisted of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of sanctions and reconstruction, the agency added.

The Pakistani-brokered framework for ending the war proposed an immediate ceasefire, followed by talks on a broader peace settlement to be concluded within 15 to 20 days, a source aware of the proposals said.

Trump, who has threatened to rain “hell” on Tehran if it did not make a deal by 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday (midnight GMT) to open ​the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies, rejected the Iranian response and said his deadline was final.

At a news conference, Trump said Iran could be “taken out” in one night “and that night might be tomorrow night,” ​referring to Tuesday. He vowed to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges, brushing off concerns that such actions would be a war crime or alienate Iran’s 93 million people.

Without an agreement ⁠with Tehran, Trump said “every bridge in Iran will be decimated” by midnight EDT (0400 GMT) on Wednesday and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again.”