Race to Secure Iran Cease-Fire Intensifies as Trump Ultimatum Ticks Down

Senior officials in Jerusalem told Epoch Magazine Israel that as part of these efforts, one of the options under consideration is a temporary 45-day cease-fire.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft taxis on the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford, on March 15, 2026. U.S. Navy

U.S. President Donald Trump has referred to an Iranian proposal as “significant” as efforts intensify to reach a diplomatic breakthrough ahead of the White House’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels.

Iran shut the waterway after the United States launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, but Tehran later said it would permit ships that had no links to the United States, Israel, or any U.S. allies to pass through.