Desperate diplomacy: 45-day ceasefire plan floated

A frantic diplomatic push is underway to halt the spiralling war between the United States and Iran, with regional powers proposing a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the world’s most critical oil chokepoint.

Officials from Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey have sent a proposal to both sides urging an immediate pause in hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Middle East officials. The plan was delivered late Sunday to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

Neither side has responded — and the fighting is escalating.

Shipping Chokepoint Becomes Economic Weapon

Iran has tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only limited traffic through the narrow waterway since the war erupted after U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28.

Ships linked to the U.S., Israel or their allies are being blocked outright, according to regional officials. Others are reportedly paying Iran for safe passage.

The result: maritime traffic through the strait has collapsed by more than 90 per cent compared with the same period last year, sending shockwaves through global energy markets.

Tehran Fires Back at Trump’s Threats

Iran’s political leadership has reacted furiously to threats from Donald Trump to bomb Iranian infrastructure if the waterway remains closed.

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed the warnings as “reckless”, accusing Washington of escalating a dangerous conflict.

“You won’t gain anything through war crimes,” he wrote on social media, insisting that only respect for Iran’s rights would end the crisis.

Backroom Talks Intensify as War Widens

Despite the violence, diplomacy has not stopped.

Officials in Oman confirmed talks between Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers on ensuring “smooth transit” through the strait. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has also spoken with Araghchi, Witkoff and counterparts in Turkey and Pakistan.

Russia has joined the diplomatic scramble, with Araghchi holding discussions with Sergey Lavrov.

Air Strikes Hit Tehran as Israel Targets Leadership

While diplomats scramble, the bombing continues.

One strike hit the campus of Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, damaging buildings and a nearby gas distribution facility. The university — long linked by Western governments to Iran’s missile programme — had already moved classes online due to the war.

Elsewhere, strikes killed at least 13 people near Eslamshahr, while further attacks in Qom and other cities added to the rising toll.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz signalled the campaign will intensify, vowing to hunt down senior Iranian officials “one by one”.

With casualties rising and the Strait of Hormuz effectively throttled, the window for diplomacy is rapidly closing.

Ceasefire proposal sent to US and Iran as air strikes leave 25 dead