Trump weighs 10-day truce with Iran, keeps airstrikes on the table

The Trump administration is reviewing a 10-day truce proposal put forward by mediating countries, but is simultaneously weighing the option of continuing airstrikes against Iran in case negotiations collapse, sources said.

Axios reported Monday, citing multiple sources, that the Trump administration is considering the new ceasefire proposal advanced by Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan.

The core of the proposal calls for the US and Iran to halt hostilities for 10 days and reopen shipping lanes on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz, buying time to revive an end-of-war MOU that is on the verge of collapse.

Under the plan, the southern route through Omani waters would be freed from the threat of Iranian attack, while the US would lift its blockade of the northern route passing through Iranian waters.

During the truce, the two sides would negotiate a long-term framework for managing transit through the Strait of Hormuz. One option under discussion would allow Iran to collect a service fee for maritime safety management, administered through a joint fund involving the International Maritime Organization.

However, neither the US nor Iran has accepted the proposal. Axios assessed that both sides intend to strengthen their negotiating positions through further military action before entering talks.

One source said the White House may continue airstrikes against Iran for several days as retaliation for a recent Iranian attack that killed US troops, before formally taking up the truce proposal.

Trump has not yet made a final decision, sources said. Officials said a prolonged war of attrition that paralyzes the broader Middle East is unlikely, and predicted that a direction — either negotiations or a military response — would be determined within the next few days.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also confirmed at a briefing Monday that Iran had received proposals from mediating countries, including Qatar, aimed at reducing tensions with the United States.

Meanwhile, the US is also stepping up its military readiness independent of the diplomatic track. The US military has recently deployed dozens of additional fighter jets and aerial refueling tankers to the Middle East, and Israeli forces are maintaining a heightened alert posture in preparation for a possible escalation, sources said.