The president of the United States, , , although he once again sent contradictory messages about the war, and remained uncertain about what he is going to do, hours before the ultimatum issued to the Persian country to reach an agreement expires. It will be at eight in the afternoon in Washington, two in the morning in peninsular Spain.
The US president assured that he believes that Iran is negotiating “in good faith” with his country and that “they would like to be able to reach an agreement”, although he did not want to give details about a possible ceasefire.
This morning, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, in a post on X, does not throw in the towel. His country’s “positive and productive” efforts to stop the war between the United States and Israel and Iran are approaching a “critical and delicate” stage, he says. But, as you can see, he doesn’t close the door.
However, the American press is pessimistic. He speaks, directly, of “insurmountable” differences between the parties. According to their sources, “hopes for a deal before Tuesday night’s deadline are fading.”
The negotiators are “pessimistic,” he says, despite the White House’s threat that not opening the Strait of Hormuz would pave the way for the US to attack Iranian bridges and power plants, in a new escalation of the conflict. Twice during his second term, Trump set a deadline for a deal with Iran, threatened to bomb the country if its leaders did not comply, and subsequently carried out military operations early, when diplomats were still supposed to be working. That’s why today there is no trust.
Meanwhile, the price of oil rose again while the main stock exchanges operate with moderation, pending the last hours of the ultimatum and whether Trump decides to unleash “hell” on the country if not. At the same time, bombings continue throughout the region, with attacks against Iran, Israel and Gulf countries.
Here are highlights from the 39th day of war:
Markets operate cautiously and oil continues to rise
- The barrel of Brent and Texas intermediate oil (WTI) rose to 109.77 dollars and 112.41 respectively, in a day marked by caution regarding the evolution of the conflict in the Middle East.
- Wall Street closed in green and its main indicator, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, rose 0.36%.
- The main Asian stock markets, such as the South Korean Kospi or the Japanese Nikkei, registered slight variations during trading hours.
- In other markets, gold, a safe haven asset, rose 0.03% to $4,681 per ounce; and silver gained 0.22% to $73.08 an ounce.
- Investors are closely monitoring contacts between the United States and Iran after Tehran presented a ten-point proposal to end the war that rules out a temporary ceasefire and proposes a permanent agreement, with demands such as the lifting of sanctions and guarantees on transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Attacks continue throughout the region
- Tehran was attacked in a joint offensive by the United States and Israel, as reported by the Iranian Red Crescent and confirmed by the Hebrew Defense Forces (IDF), which did not report any deaths or injuries.
- The Israeli Army also said it had detected projectiles launched from Iran, although there were no reports of any hits or injuries as a result of the attack.
- Bahrain issued an alert and asked its residents to seek refuge from a new wave of attacks launched from Iran, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they had intercepted several drones and missiles.
Japan asks Iran to guarantee security in Hormuz
- Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, to guarantee navigation safety in the Strait of Hormuz amid the release of a detained Japanese citizen.
Philippines confirms second victim in Israel
- The Government of the Philippines confirmed the death of a second citizen in the conflict in the Middle East. The death occurred on April 5 in the port city of Haifa, after a missile hit the woman’s home, where her Israeli husband and his parents also perished.
