Iran and U.S. harden positions in talks to end nearly month-old war

Iran and the United States stood at a stubborn impasse Thursday, each digging in over ceasefire terms as diplomacy stalled and fears of further escalation grew with more U.S. forces nearing the Middle East.

At the same time, President Donald Trump extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, pushing it to April 6. Tehran also tightened its control over the waterway, while Israel increased troop levels in southern Lebanon as it continued fighting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

In Israel, sirens sounded as alerts warned of incoming Iranian missile barrages, and Gulf countries worked to intercept fire. Heavy strikes were reported across Iran, including in Tehran and other cities.

Both sides appeared to be testing limits in what has become, in Washington’s view, a contest of endurance. The U.S. has outlined shifting aims ranging from removing what it calls threats from Iran’s missile and nuclear programs to ending Tehran’s support for armed groups across the region. At one point, Washington even raised the prospect of overturning Iran’s theocracy.

Even as an intense U.S.-Israeli campaign has struck Iran’s military and government, killing senior figures and hitting dozens of targets, Iran has continued to launch missiles. There are also no signs of a popular revolt against the Iranian government.

For Iran, outlasting may be the prize

Iranian leaders, meanwhile, may view survival as a form of success. Officials could be betting that pressure will push the U.S. to retreat, using control of the Strait of Hormuz to disrupt global commerce and keep the world economy under strain. By tightening passage through the strategic channel, Iran has disrupted oil and natural gas shipments and contributed to higher energy prices and broader increases for goods worldwide.

Without a negotiated settlement, the U.S. would likely need a major escalation to stop Iran’s attacks and restore uninterrupted shipping through the strait, which carries 20% of all traded oil and natural gas in peacetime. The U.S. rejected an Iran-linked ceasefire proposal while presenting its own framework for talks.

Trump said he would strike Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the waterway. He adjusted his warning from an earlier threat to bomb Iran’s energy facilities, saying in recent remarks that he was holding back on that option because talks to end the conflict were going “very well.”

Iran had warned that it would retaliate against critical infrastructure in the region, including desalination facilities, if Trump carried out the threat. Trump said he has deferred action while negotiations proceed.

Thursday, a Gulf Arab bloc said Iran has begun extracting fees from vessels to ensure their safe passage.

Iran is operating Strait of Hormuz as ‘de facto toll booth’

According to reports, Iran has blocked ships passing through the strait that it associates with the U.S. and Israeli war effort, while allowing a narrower flow of others. Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that Iran was permitting some oil tankers through as a gesture of good faith.

Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes six Gulf Arab nations, said Iran was charging for secure passage.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence described the approach as a “de facto ‘toll booth’ regime,” adding that at least two vessels have reportedly paid in yuan, China’s currency.

Global markets have reflected the pressure. Iran’s control of the strait and repeated attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure have helped push Brent crude—the international benchmark—up more than 40% since the war began.

Israel says it has killed top Iranian navy and intelligence leaders

Israel reported that it killed Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy, and Behnam Rezaei, the Iranian naval intelligence chief. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tangsiri was behind bombing operations that have blocked ships from crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran did not immediately confirm the deaths.

Trump presses Iran to ‘get serious’ on talks

Through Pakistan as an intermediary, Washington delivered Iran a 15-point “action list,” according to Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for Trump. Witkoff said the document could serve as the basis for a potential peace deal and described “strong signs” that the U.S. can “convince Iran that this is the inflection point, with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction.”

One day after declaring that Iran wanted to strike a deal, Trump posted on social media Thursday that Tehran needs to “get serious soon” about negotiations to end the war “before it is too late.”

On Iranian state television, Press TV said Tehran has its own five-point proposal that includes reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

But Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said in an interview on state TV that his government has not held talks aimed at ending the war and does not intend to. He said the U.S. attempted to send messages via other countries, calling it “not a conversation nor a negotiation.”

Egypt is also involved in bridging the two sides, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Thursday, adding that his country sees a shared desire for “calm” and “the exploration of negotiations.”

As diplomatic channels remained active, U.S. forces continued to prepare. A group of ships, including the USS Tripoli, moved closer to the Middle East with about 2,500 Marines onboard. Separately, at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne—trained to land in hostile territory to seize key ground and airfields—have been ordered to the region.

Israeli strikes intensify as Iran targets Israel and Gulf neighbors

In southern Lebanon, Israel said its army deployed the 162nd Division into the area Thursday, joining thousands of troops already sent there since the war began. Israel said the open-ended ground offensive aims to protect towns along its northern border from Hezbollah attacks and to uproot the militant group.

Israel also said it carried out a wave of attacks targeting Iranian infrastructure early Thursday. Heavy strikes were reported around Isfahan, where Iran has a major air base and other military sites, as well as one of its nuclear locations.

Witnesses told The Associated Press that power was out in parts of Tehran. They also reported hearing heavy strikes and seeing fighter jets overhead.

Across Israel, loud booms could be heard as Iranian barrages struck repeatedly. Israel’s emergency service said a man in his 30s was killed near Nahariya, in the north, after a wave of strikes that came from Lebanon. In the United Arab Emirates, two people were reported killed by shrapnel from a missile interception over Abu Dhabi.

Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, an Israeli military spokesperson, said Thursday that the army needs an additional 15,000 soldiers—about half combat troops—to be at full strength for its multiple missions. Israel can call up tens of thousands of reservists, but repeated deployments have sparked public pushback, with many citing exhaustion and financial strain.

Casualties have continued to climb. Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian told Al Jazeera that more than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran. In Israel, 18 people have died, while three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon. At least 13 American troops have also been killed. More than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states have died.

Lebanon’s authorities said more than 1,100 people have been killed. In Iraq—where Iranian-supported militant groups have entered the conflict—80 members of the security forces have been killed.

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This story has been updated to correct the death toll in Israel, and that a Trump envoy says there are strong signs Iran can be persuaded it has no option but a deal.___

Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Julia Frankel, Koral Saeed and Sam Metz in Jerusalem, Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia, Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami contributed to this report.