Washington, 27 March (H.S.):
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday a further extension of his deadline for military action against Iran's energy infrastructure, pushing back potential strikes until April 6 in response to a direct request from Tehran.
The move comes as backchannel negotiations intensify over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump declaring on Truth Social that discussions are ongoing and... going very well, despite skepticism from Iranian officials and media outlets.
In a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff disclosed that Washington had conveyed a 15-point action list to Iran via Pakistani intermediaries, outlining demands such as dismantling Tehran's nuclear program, curbing support for proxy militias, and fully restoring passage through the vital oil chokepoint.
Iran swiftly countered late Wednesday with its own terms, insisting on an immediate halt to US and Israeli assaults, war reparations, sanctions relief, closure of American bases in the Gulf, and unqualified recognition of its sovereignty over the strait – conditions that analysts say widen the gulf between the two sides.
Trump highlighted a gesture from Iran as proof of seriousness: the passage of 10 oil tankers through the Hormuz strait, which he dubbed a mystery gift and present during the meeting.
They said to show you the fact that we're real and solid... we're going to let you have eight boats of oil, he recounted, noting the figure rose to 10, adding, I guess we're dealing with the right people.
This partial easing bucks Iran's de facto blockade since late February, when US-Israeli strikes began hammering Tehran for blocking the route that carries one-fifth of global oil supplies.
Yet the battlefield tells a grimmer story. Israeli forces claimed Thursday to have eliminated IRGC navy commander Alireza Tangsiri in a Bandar Abbas airstrike, along with several deputies, branding him the architect of Hormuz disruptions and attacks on regional energy sites.
Fresh explosions rocked Iranian cities including Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, and even Mashhad near Afghanistan, as warplanes droned overhead in Tehran, per eyewitnesses. Iranian missiles and drones meanwhile targeted Gulf states, killing two near Abu Dhabi from debris alone.
The seesaw diplomacy has oil markets on edge. Brent crude surged past $104 a barrel Friday, up over 40% since February 28, as Iran's exports rake in $139 million daily thanks to sky-high prices and a narrowed discount to global benchmarks. Tehran profits even as rivals' shipments stall, though wavering peace signals sparked the latest jump.
Trump oscillated between olive branches and iron fists, boasting Iran has been beat to shit and musing about seizing its oil fields like Venezuela's post-Maduro.His envoy Witkoff urged Tehran to seize this inflection point before facing more death and destruction.
Iranian state media Tasnim, citing an official, confirmed delivery of their reply and awaited Washington's riposte.
On Israel's front, opposition leader Yair Lapid decried the multi-arena war's toll, warning the IDF is stretched to the limit with insufficient troops and no clear strategy, echoing army chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin called for more combat soldiers to hold new Lebanese buffer zones.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
