Image Credit: ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images 
Summary:
- Tehran Times: All communications with US side suspended – THEN ISSUES CORRECTION, REVERSES. This after Trump’s Tues. morning threat: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Axios cites “glimmer” of progress on negotiations.
- In a call with FOX’s Bret Baier, Trump says 8 PM deadline today “could change if negotiations move forward, but sticking to deadline for now.”
- Kharg Island heavily bombed in preparation for potential US Marine/Special Forces ground seizure. Reports of ‘human chains’ at bridges, power plants, in Iran forming.
- Israel has begun attacking Iran’s railway infrastructure, telling civilians to not take trains, cancelations across country. IRGC still defiant – announces new retaliatory attacks on petrochemical plants in eastern Saudi Arabia.
- Iran’s 10-point counter to the US 15-point ceasefire shows signs of willingness to compromise (‘reparations’ from US dropped as a demand). Vance says war will end “very shortly”. Russia, China veto UNSC Hormuz resolution.
* * *
Axios Cites ‘Glimmer’ of Progress as Trump Deadline Looms
More from Axios’ Barak Ravid, though we should note that it’s increasingly difficult to know what has legitimacy:
Progress has been made in the past 24 hours in the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, though reaching a ceasefire deal by President Trump’s 8pm ET deadline still looks like a long shot, according to a U.S. official, an Israeli official and two other sources with knowledge of the talks.
- A U.S. official said the thinking in the White House has shifted from “can we get there?” to “can we get there by 8 o’clock tonight?”
These wild headline swings (and in markets) concerning positive or negative signs on the status of indirect negotiations have been going for weeks at this point.
WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt thinks it’s assuring to inform the public that only Trump knows “where things stand and what he will do,” adding: “The Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States.”
Russia, China Veto Hormuz Strait Resolution at UNSC
On Tuesday a UN Security Council resolution on opening the Strait of Hormuz failed due to Russia and China vetoing it. It was drafted by Bahrain and authorized countries to use military force if necessary to open the strait for the free flow of shipping and commerce.
The resolution garnered 11 votes in favor, but permanent veto-wielding members China and Russia blocked it by registering no votes. This comes after days of pressure from Gulf countries to restore free passage in the strait, amid Trump’s Operation Epic Fury. Russia complained that the UN res would damage “very fragile truce negotiations” by given broad allowance to use military force to reopen the waterway.
Tehran Times Reverses in Astounding Correction, Now Says Talks Are Not Closed
The NY Times had also said it only within the last hour, based on the initial headline out of Tehran, that all backchannel talks were suspended.
Tehran Times deleted this post from 2 hours ago saying all communication with US has closed.
Trump Hints at Possible Deadline Extension
In a call with FOX’s Bret Baier, Trump says 8 PM deadline today “could change if negotiations move forward, but sticking to deadline for now.” And yet Tehran has said it has suspended all back channel negotiations. TACO Tuesday?
TRUMP TELLS FOX NEWS IF NEGOTIATIONS ADVANCE AND THERE IS SOMETHING TANGIBLE WE MIGHT EXTEND THE DEADLINE: AL ARABIYA
Meanwhile, per news wires and CNN:
The Israeli military is on standby and ready to launch strikes on Iran ahead of US President Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, an Israeli security source tells CNN. The Israeli security source said plans have been prepared for a combined US-lsraeli operation with full military coordination pending a green light from Trump.
Iran: All Diplomatic Channels With US Have Ceased
“Iran has closed all diplomatic and indirect channels of communication with the US,” Tehran Times has reported. The publication says that “Any and all message exchanges have also been suspended.”
The Tehran Times is seen as tied to the hardline factions of the government, and calls itself the “voice of the Islamic Revolution” – but is not directly state-owned per se.
The NY Times also confirms “Iran has stopped negotiating with the US and it told Pakistan that it will not continue ceasefire talks.”
Meanwhile President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised the willingness of “14 million” Iranian citizens to “sacrifice” by taking to the streets, seeking to protect power plants and other sensitive vital infrastructure, as the US-Israeli bombs rain down. US conservative MSM publications have decried this as a form of “human shields”.
‘Human chains’ seen on some bridges…
Iranians form human shield at Kazeroun power plant ahead of Trump’s threatened strikes. pic.twitter.com/Le2VcEpPQv
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) April 7, 2026
And apparently at nuclear sites…
JUST IN:
— Current Report (@Currentreport1) April 7, 2026
Iranians are gathering on bridges and around power plants, forming human chains after threats of US and Israeli strikes on Iran's civilian infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/DrGFZlfP0E
WH Trying to Manufacture ‘Mission Accomplished’? Vance Says Objectives Completed
Vice President JD Vance has said that “very shortly” this war will be “completed” in a Tuesday morning statement. He stated specifically that the military objectives have been accomplished, adding there are “two pathways” – and that optimistically this will involve “lots of negotiations” – but with a deadline of 8pm ET. The US is “confident it will get an Iran response.”
The below is from Hala Jaber, a longtime Sunday Times journalist and veteran Middle East war correspondent:
Trump is scrambling behind the scenes for a ceasefire with Iran, according to claims emerging via Fars News Agency. Allegations point to urgent outreach through multiple governments & intelligence channels. Citing what it describes as an “informed source,” the report claims the U.S. has been pushing for a ceasefire via backchannels, using countries it believes have credibility with Tehran.
According to the same account, Iran received calls from five heads of government & eight intelligence agencies, all seeking to open a path toward a ceasefire. It further claims Washington is considering reshaping its negotiation team, including removing Witkoff due to his ties to Netanyahu’s circle & replacing him with Vance to lead a more serious track. The urgency, the source says, is driven by mounting military & economic pressure, including fears of surging fuel prices. If true, it would mark a stark contrast to the public posture.
"I hope they make the right response," says @VP on Iran.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 7, 2026
"They've got to know, we've got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven't decided to use. @POTUS can decide to use them, and he will decide to use them if the Iranians don't change their course of conduct." pic.twitter.com/UUiQ5SdEO5
Trump: A Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight
Trump seems to be openly announcing plans for genocide – saying he’s going to annihilate an entire civilization. What else do you call this? “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he threatened in a Tuesday Truth Social Post. “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?” – he continued.
Meanwhile, according to The Associated Press:
Airstrikes pounded Tehran on Tuesday, and Iranian officials urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants, hours before the expiration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest deadline for the Islamic Republic to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes on its infrastructure.
Kharg Island Bombed (Again)
Kharg Island is being bombed again on Tuesday, with a senior US officials telling Fox’s Jennifer Griffin that the “U.S. hit dozens of military targets on Kharg Island overnight.” Per the fresh reporting the targets included bunkers, a radar station, and ammunition storage.
However, the same officials described that landing docks were not intentionally targeted – that they only would have been struck if Iranians fired something from next to them. This development has led to speculation that this could be another round of softening operations to prepare for some kind of US Marine or special forces seizure.
This sent oil back to the highs…
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