The current crisis between the United States and Iran is witnessing rapid developments as the deadline set by US President Donald Trump approaches, amid intensive diplomatic moves by Pakistan, attempting to mediate to contain the military escalation that threatens to expand the scope of the conflict in the region.

According to diplomatic sources and media reports, the US administration under Donald Trump is considering extending the deadline given to Iran by two weeks, while Tehran is studying a proposal submitted by Pakistan to cease fire for the same period to allow room for diplomatic efforts.

A crucial US deadline puts Iran in a predicament.

The US president has set a deadline for Iran that expires Tuesday at 8 p.m. Washington time, demanding that Tehran take clear steps to end the escalation.

Trump also warned that failure to reach an agreement could have serious repercussions, saying in a post on Truth Social that an entire civilization could die if no agreement is reached, referring to the great risks that could result from the expansion of the conflict in the Gulf region and the Middle East.

Pakistani proposal for a ceasefire

In an attempt to reduce tensions, Pakistan put forward a proposal for a two-week ceasefire between the warring parties, with the aim of providing an additional opportunity for diplomatic negotiations.

Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official as saying that Tehran is considering the proposal positively, especially with the approaching end of the US deadline, noting that the Iranian leadership believes this period could provide space to contain the crisis and prevent it from sliding into a wider confrontation.

The American news site Axios noted that the White House says President Trump has seen the Pakistani proposal and will announce his position on it at a later time.

Messages exchanged via intermediaries

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the two countries were exchanging messages indirectly, without disclosing details of those contacts or the identity of the intermediaries involved.

US President Trump has previously asserted that the United States could destroy bridges and power plants in Iran if Tehran continues to impose a blockade on oil supplies coming from the Gulf states, a threat that Iran considers a dangerous escalation.

For its part, Iran announced that it might target the infrastructure of its Gulf neighbors if it is subjected to new attacks, indicating the possibility of the conflict expanding to include other countries in the region.

Tehran has also confirmed that it refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under the current circumstances, which increases global concerns about disruption to energy supplies, given that the strait is one of the most important maritime routes for transporting oil in the world.