President Trump reportedly refused Tehran’s proposal for a week-long truce to give the regime time to draft its response to American peace plans.
By World Israel News Staff
The White House has rejected an Iranian request for an interim ceasefire, a diplomatic source in the Middle East has said.
On Saturday, Israel Hayom published a report citing the unnamed source, who said that Iran had proposed that the two countries observe a ceasefire for five to seven days in order for the Islamic Republic to draft a comprehensive response to US demands.
President Donald Trump had a week earlier demanded that Iran immediately open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, giving Iran 48 hours to comply or face a targeted bombing campaign against its energy infrastructure.
However, a day later, the president announced that the US and Iran have been quietly engaging in talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire, adding that he was extending the deadline for his ultimatum.
On Thursday, Trump extended the deadline again, pushing it back by ten days, to April 6.
The president said the move was in response to requests by Iran.
“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well.”
According to Saturday’s report, the Iranian request Trump referred to was Tehran’s call for an interim ceasefire.
Trump’s response highlights the White House’s core principles in the war with Iran, the report said, emphasizing that the US has laid out a clear position in talks with Iran that while specific targets may be temporarily spared, the US-Israeli strikes will not be halted unless and until Iran agrees to basic US demands, including a commitment not to enrich uranium.
Israel and the Gulf Arab states are working closely with the administration to ensure that any ceasefire deal with Iran includes agreements by the regime to impose a moratorium on uranium enrichment, to accept limits on its ballistic missile program, and to put Iran’s existing enriched uranium stockpile under international supervision.