Trump Threatens Massive Strikes As Iran Cease-Fire Push Goes To The Wire
by RFE/RL's Radio Farda · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · JoinUS President Donald Trump has threatened to "blow up everything" in Iran even as last-ditch cease-fire talks entered their final hours on April 6, with a Pakistan-brokered peace framework on the table and Trump's April 7 deadline for massive strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure fast approaching.
"Tuesday [April 7] will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump's time frame for his latest ultimatum has occasionally shifted in his social media posts and media interviews.
In an interview on April 5 with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said Iran must reopen the strait in two days or "they're going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country." Later, he posted a new deadline of Tuesday, April 7, at 8pm, US Eastern Time.
SEE ALSO:
Trump Gives Tehran 48 Hours To Make Deal, Open Strait Or Face 'Hell'
Meanwhile, at least 19 people were killed and 20 injured in US and Israeli airstrikes near Tehran, Iranian state media reported on April 6.
The districts of Shahriar and Baharestan were hit, with two residential buildings destroyed, the official IRNA news agency said, citing local officials. Several bodies were recovered from the rubble. The Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported that six children under the age of 10 were among the dead. The figures could not be independently verified.
Separately, the head of the intelligence organization of the IRGC, Majid Khademi, was killed on April 6 in what Iranian media described as a "terrorist attack" by the US and Israel, citing a statement by the Revolutionary Guards. Khademi, who took over the role in 2025, had held senior intelligence and counterespionage posts and led one of Iran’s most powerful security bodies.
Elsewhere, Israeli media reported on April 6 that Iran had used cluster munitions in a missile attack on the Tel Aviv area earlier that day, with around 20 impact sites reported, according to the Ynet news agency. Several people were injured, including one seriously, and a school was hit. In Haifa, earlier strikes killed two people and set vehicles on fire.
Diplomacy Behind The Scenes
Despite the threats, Trump has also signaled that a diplomatic opening remains.
The United States, Iran, and regional mediators are discussing the terms of a potential 45-day cease-fire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, Axios reported, citing four US, Israeli, and regional sources with knowledge of the talks.
Trump told Axios he believes there is a "good chance" of reaching a deal before his deadline. "There is a good chance, but if they don't make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there," he said.
An operational plan for a massive US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran's energy facilities is ready to execute, sources said, but the extension of Trump's deadline was aimed at giving diplomacy a last chance.
Separately, Reuters reported on April 6 that a specific framework has been put together by Pakistan and exchanged with both sides overnight, in what has been tentatively dubbed the "Islamabad Accord."
Under the proposal, a cease-fire would take effect immediately, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with 15 to 20 days to finalize a broader settlement that would include Iranian commitments on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets.
Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has been in contact through the night with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. As of April 6, Iran had not responded to the proposals.
Iran Warns Of 'Dangerous Game'
In a fiery response to Trump's threats, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf called on the United States to end its "dangerous game" by halting the war with Tehran.
Qalibaf, reportedly seen by at least some in the White House as a potential workable partner, accused Washington of making "reckless moves" and warned that "our whole region is going to burn."
The diplomatic activity came as Trump announced the rescue of the second crew member from an F-15E jet shot down over southwestern Iran on April 3.
The elaborate nighttime operation involved US Special Operations forces and faced active interference from the IRGC as well as Basij militia units searching for the downed airman.
Two US transport aircraft that were unable to depart a site inside Iran were destroyed by American forces to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.
Iran's military claimed the rescue operation was "completely foiled" but did not claim to have captured the crew member or deny he had been extracted.
Trump Threatens Massive Strikes As Iran Cease-Fire Push Goes To The Wire
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