Trump Sets Deadline for Iran Talks Amid Escalating Proxy Strikes

President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric against Tehran, warning that the U.S. will hit Iranian electricity plants \"very hard\" if a diplomatic breakthrough is not achieved by April 6. While a temporary pause on energy infrastructure remains in effect, Trump stated that broader strategic military objectives are nearing completion and predicted the Strait of Hormuz would eventually reopen naturally. Amid these threats, indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran are reportedly ongoing, even as Iran's UN mission dismissed the President's latest statements as a display of \"ignorance.\" On the ground, security conditions have deteriorated as the State Department warned of imminent attacks by Iranian-backed militias against U.S. interests in Baghdad. This follows a massive wave of 41 drone strikes claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against U.S. bases. Regional spillover has also intensified, with Kuwait reporting drone strikes on a desalination plant and an oil refinery, while the UAE was forced to shutter gas facilities due to fire from intercepted missile debris. At the United Nations, diplomatic efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz have stalled. China, France, and Russia blocked draft resolution language that would have authorized the use of force to reopen the waterway. Internally, the Pentagon announced the abrupt removal of three generals, including former Army Chief of Staff Randy A. George, without providing a specific reason. This military leadership shuffle comes as U.S. intelligence estimates that roughly half of Iran's missile launchers remain operational despite over a month of sustained U.S.-Israeli strikes.