Senior U.S. officials told reporters on Sunday that military operations against Iran will significantly increase within days. President Donald Trump warned that he would destroy every power plant and bridge in Iran if Tehran rejects a U.S. peace proposal that is being carried to Pakistan.
Trump shared this warning on Truth Social. “My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan. They will be there tomorrow evening for negotiations… We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran. No more Mr. Nice Guy,” he wrote.
Two senior administration officials and two Trump advisers described the expected escalation to Zeteo on the condition of anonymity.
U.S. Central Command confirmed on Sunday that sailors boarded an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has again closed the strait to shipping, halting 20 percent of the global oil supply and pushing Brent crude to $132 a barrel.
NEW: Iran’s military is now defending its decision not to fight back when U.S. troops boarded and seized one of their ships.
Iran’s top military command pointed to civilians on board:
“They faced constraints… family members were in danger at every moment”
The U.S. Navy fired… pic.twitter.com/YHlI5dnYPn
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 20, 2026
The conflict started on February 1 after Iran-backed militias attacked U.S. bases in the region. Trump ordered immediate strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, missile depots, and command infrastructure. Three U.S. service members died in the early weeks, while five others sustained serious injuries.
On April 1, Trump addressed the nation in a prime-time speech on Day 32 of the conflict. “We’re going to strike extremely hard the next two to three weeks,” he said. “We’re going to return them to the Stone Age, where they belong. Meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing.”
Iran received Trump’s 15-point peace proposal through Pakistani intermediaries in late March, according to the Associated Press. The plan includes nuclear disarmament, disbanding of proxy forces, and access to the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran denied engaging in direct negotiations with Washington.
A 14-day ceasefire began on April 8 after Trump set an 8 p.m. deadline, warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran refused the terms. Pakistan brokered the pause. Iran reopened parts of the strait but did not commit to full access.
Trump declared the war “very close to being over” on April 13, the same day he imposed a naval blockade on all Iranian ports. Iran rejected new peace talks on April 18, citing U.S. demands and the blockade.
🚨BREAKING: 🇺🇸💥🇵🇰💥🇮🇷 Iran has informed the U.S. through Pakistan that it does not intend to hold another round of talks in Islamabad until the naval blockade against Iran is lifted – Reuters pic.twitter.com/g9pPf1bnCd
— JackTheRippler ©️ (@RippleXrpie) April 20, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Trump a “president of peace” on April 6, just hours after the White House announced that strike packages were ready. “We had a target set locked and loaded,” Hegseth said.
Trump told Fox Business that the war was necessary to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. “I had to divert because if I didn’t do that, right now, you’d have Iran with a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Military legal specialists told the Associated Press that Trump’s threats to bomb power plants and bridges could be considered war crimes under international humanitarian law. Trump said on Sunday he was unconcerned. “I hope I don’t have to do it,” he said.
The United Nations estimates that 1,200 Iranians have died and 2 million have been displaced since the conflict began. Global oil prices rose, and stock futures fell following Trump’s latest post on Truth Social.
Pakistan will host the next round of indirect talks on Monday.
