Iran Rejects Ceasefire as Trump Threatens Military Action

Iran has rejected a United States proposal for a temporary ceasefire as President Donald Trump expanded threats to target the country’s civilian infrastructure, including all power plants and bridges. The development follows a wave of joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes on April 6, 2026, and a looming deadline for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on April 6, 2026, that Tehran rejected a U.S. Proposal for a 45-day temporary ceasefire. Iranian officials countered with their own proposal seeking a permanent end to the war, conditioned on guarantees that the country will not be attacked again.

U.S. Ultimatum and Infrastructure Threats

President Donald Trump has set a deadline of 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned that if the deadline is not met, the U.S. Would initiate strikes against Iranian bridges and power plants.

During a White House news conference on April 6, 2026, President Trump stated that the Iranian people want the U.S. To keep bombing and asserted that citizens are willing to suffer to secure their freedom. He also warned that Iran could be taken out in one night.

When questioned by reporters regarding the legality of attacking civilian infrastructure that does not contribute to military action—which legal experts describe as a war crime under international and U.S. Laws—Trump replied, No. I hope I don’t have to do it. He later told reporters he was not at all concerned about committing possible war crimes.

Military Escalation and Casualties

On April 6, 2026, the United States and Israel conducted a series of attacks within Iran that resulted in the deaths of more than 25 people. One of the strikes targeted an information and communication technology building at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology.

Iran responded to these strikes with missile fire directed at Israel and its neighbors in the Gulf. In Haifa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences for victims of an Iranian missile attack that left four people dead.

International and Diplomatic Reactions

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through a spokesperson, stated he is alarmed by President Trump’s social media posts threatening attacks on Iranian power plants, bridges, and other infrastructure.

Iranian officials have condemned the U.S. Warnings as threats to commit atrocities. Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, the head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told the Associated Press that Iran only accepts an end to the war with guarantees against future attacks.

In Tehran, government-sponsored protests involving medical workers were held against the United States. Reports indicate that volunteers in the city have been distributing up to 5,000 Iranian flags daily.

Economic and Political Fallout

Despite the escalating tensions and the approaching Tuesday deadline, U.S. Stock markets showed slight gains on April 6, 2026. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.

Domestically, President Trump has threatened to jail journalists in an effort to identify a leaker associated with a story regarding an Iranian fighter jet.