Progress has been made in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in the past 24 hours, though reaching a ceasefire deal by President Trump's 8 PM ET deadline still appears unlikely, according to multiple U.S. and Israeli officials. A U.S. official said White House thinking has shifted from "can we get there?" to "can we get there by 8 o'clock tonight?"
Trump has threatened to destroy Iran's bridges, power plants, and other critical infrastructure including oil and water facilities if Iran does not agree to open the Strait of Hormuz. The president wrote on Truth Social Tuesday morning that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." Iran has responded by threatening retaliation against energy and water facilities in Gulf states.
Key obstacles include Iran's demand for strong guarantees that the U.S. and Israel won't resume hostilities after a pause, and slow responses from Iranian leadership due to security concerns. Over the past two weeks, the two sides have been exchanging proposals through Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators.
Failure to reach a deal or make sufficient progress to convince Trump to extend the deadline would lead to unprecedented escalation. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said only Trump knows "where things stand and what he will do," adding that "the Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States." Conflicting reports emerged about Iran potentially severing communications, though Iran's state-run Tehran Times denied walking away from talks.