File image.
United States President Donald Trump announced on March 26 that he is pushing off his deadline for Iran to agree to an American proposal to end the war by ten more days.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump announced just four days earlier that he would “obliterate” Iran’s energy sites in 48 hours if it didn’t allow safe passage to tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway — where roughly 20% of the world’s oil production passes daily — has effectively been closed since the start of the American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic, with many vessels hit by Iranian fire there and in nearby waters.
On the morning of the March 23 evening deadline, Trump said that he would be delaying it by five days, claiming that Iran had reached out and expressed interest in an agreement.
“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the fake news media, and others. They are going very well,” Trump added in his latest post.
The Trump administration has been weighing using troops to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s most critical maritime oil export hub, in the northeastern Persian Gulf as leverage over Iran to coerce them to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Thousands of marines and paratroops have been ordered to the Middle East.
Earlier in the day, a report by Axios confirmed that the administration is working on options for a “final blow” to the Islamic Republic that could see American ground troops deployed on Iranian soil.
If attempts to initiate high-level negotiations with Iran do not bear fruit and the Iranians continue to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. could initiate a final blow that would serve a dual purpose — improving its position in future talks with the Islamic Republic, or allowing U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war unilaterally with a victory image — ,according to the American news website.
Two US officials and two sources with knowledge told Axios that four options are currently being discussed by the Trump administration.
The first option would entail seizing Kharg Island — as previously reported by many news agencies —, or just imposing a blockade on it.
A second would be to take Larak Island in the strait, which has Iranian bases and radars that track ships transiting Hormuz, as well as smaller boats that can attack civilian ships.
A third possibility would be to invade Abu Musa Island in the eastern Persian Gulf, which gives Iran control over ships leaving the Gulf. The island — and the nearby Greater and Lesser Tunb islands — are held by Iran but claimed by the United Arab Emirates, a close ally of both the U.S. and Israel.
The fourth and last option would see the U.S. simply blocking or taking control of ships exporting Iranian oil. This seems the most convenient.
According to Axios, there are also plans under consideration for U.S. troops to seize Iran’s highly enriched uranium, believed to sit under ruined nuclear facilities deep at the heart of Iran. Alternatively, the U.S. could simply bomb the sites from the air again to ensure that Iran can’t reach the material.
Iranian officials have so far been cautious with regard to the ongoing diplomatic efforts, mainly mediated by Pakistan, with some even openly warning of deception.
The chances of these efforts succeeding remain very low as the U.S. and Iran are still too far off, very much on all issues, from the nuclear program, to the missiles, and the regional influence of the Islamic Republic. It is more likely that we will see more escalation.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
if you listened he told you that the iranians have sent ten oil tankers through the straits as a gift for the usa.
and if you kept up you’d know that the idf took out the iranian navy commander who was ordering the blockading of the straits.
but the usual anti american propagndas expected from bbc sources with its renowned credibity for creativity.
only a fuckwit like you would bother even listening to anything coming out of paedo chumpo’s mouth.
trump is losing patience…he will use nukes soon if iran doesn’t submit…heheheh
no he won’t. it would be quite in character for the bloodthirsty joo psychos to do it. because they are losing and they are desperate.