Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump announced an extension of the deadline for Iran until 8:00 PM Eastern Time (7:00 AM Wednesday, Thailand time) to reach an agreement to end the war and allow free passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. This is a 24-hour extension from the original Monday deadline, giving Iran until after Easter. He dubbed today "Power Plant Day and Bridge Day." If no agreement is reached, Trump declared that all bridges in Iran will be destroyed and power plants will be attacked and rendered unusable, stating that the military plans to complete this destruction in just four hours.
According to Thai News Agency, the deal Trump wants includes opening the Strait of Hormuz to free passage for oil tankers. He also proposed the idea that the US should collect transit fees instead of Iran, since Iran has been militarily defeated, and reiterated that if necessary, he is ready to seize Iranian oil, based on the principle that the victor takes possession of the captured assets.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that Iran has officially rejected the US's 45-day ceasefire offer, insisting that it only wants a permanent end to the war. They do not trust that a temporary ceasefire would allow the US and Israel to regroup for further attacks. Iran submitted a 10-point proposal through Pakistan for a permanent end to the war, including the lifting of sanctions, reparations, sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of all US troops from the Persian Gulf, and the right to peacefully enhance its nuclear capabilities. However, Trump stated that the proposal was "not good enough." Iran's deputy foreign minister, Qasem Garibabadi, countered that Trump had openly threatened to commit war crimes by targeting bridges and power plants. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that the strait would never be the same again, especially for the US and Israel.
On the other hand, Trump affirmed the success of the rescue mission for two U.S. Air Force personnel aboard an F-15E fighter jet that was shot down in southwestern Iran on Friday. The pilots were rescued the same day, while the colonel, a weapons systems officer, was rescued on Sunday after hiding in the mountains for nearly 48 hours. Trump compared the search for the missing officers in Iran to "finding a needle in a haystack." The officer had to self-medicate with his severe injuries and climb to the top of a mountain over 7,000 feet to send a distress signal. The mission involved more than 155 aircraft, including B-1 bombers and MQ-9 Reaper drones, and special forces such as SEAL Team 6. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) also conducted a "disguise campaign" to confuse Iran about the officer's location. Trump hailed the mission as proof that the U.S. will not leave anyone behind.
Meanwhile, the IRGC confirmed that Major General Seyed Majid Khademi, head of the IRGC intelligence unit, was killed in a US and Israeli airstrike targeting the IRGC intelligence headquarters, the central hub for planning domestic and international operations, yesterday. This is a significant loss for the IRGC, as Khademi was not only the head of intelligence but also the mastermind behind Iran's proxy network throughout the Middle East, including coordination with Hezbollah and the Houthi group. The attack is expected to disrupt the direction and effectiveness of Iran's military response, as its internal espionage and communications networks have been destroyed.