US President Donald Trump is weighing whether to escalate ongoing military strikes on Iran by targeting key infrastructure or allow more time for negotiations, Axios reported Tuesday, citing US officials.
Trump has threatened to target bridges and power plants on a tight timeline, with a potential decision expected by Tuesday evening, according to the report citing US officials.
“If the president sees a deal is coming together, he’ll probably hold off. But only he and he alone makes that decision,” the report noted, citing a senior administration official, adding that a defense official told Axios that they were “skeptical” there would be any extension this time around.
Axios reported that Trump has taken a more hawkish stance than some of his advisers, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
His negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance, thinks that “he should try to get a deal now if possible,” according to the report, while regional leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and some US allies have urged against a ceasefire without significant concessions from Iran.
A US official later told Axios that Iran sent a 10-point response to the war-ending proposal, describing it as “maximalist” and saying it was unclear whether it would allow a diplomatic solution to move forward.
The ceasefire proposal, according to Pakistani sources, includes an immediate halt to hostilities, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a two-to-three-week window to finalize a broader settlement, and subsequent in-person talks in Islamabad. Tehran, however, said it could not be forced into dialogue through “deadline threats,” the sources added.
According to Iranian media, Tehran has rejected the temporary ceasefire proposal and conveyed its own version, including a permanent end to the war, a full halt to hostilities, protocols for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and reconstruction and the lifting of sanctions.
Trump said a deal remains possible but warned of a scenario in which Iran’s infrastructure could be “completely” destroyed if talks fail, Axios also reported.
On Monday, Trump claimed that American forces could “take out” the entire nation of Iran in just a single night.
“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow (Tuesday) night,” Trump told reporters.
He also noted his deadline for Iran, warning that by Tuesday night at 8 pm EDT (0000GMT Wednesday), every bridge and power plant in Iran would be “decimated” if no deal was reached.
Regional tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
