U. S. President Donald Trump warned yesterday that all of Iran could be "taken out" this Tuesday when the deadline he imposed for the Islamic Republic to reopen the key waterway of the Strait of Hormuz expires.
"The entire country could be destroyed in one night, and that night could be tomorrow night," Trump said at a press conference on Monday. He reaffirmed the ultimatum directed at the regime to reach an agreement: "We have a plan that envisions all of Iran's bridges being destroyed, that all power plants will be taken offline. " "And all of that will be done in four hours, if we want," he added, referring to the deadline that expires at 8:00 PM (12:00 AM GMT Wednesday) for Iran to accept his conditions.
Iranian state media reported that Tehran has rejected the proposal, calling it a U. S. initiative.
It was indicated that several nations are seeking a diplomatic solution after 38 days of conflict. During the appearance, Trump detailed the military operation carried out to rescue two crew members from a U. S.
F-15 fighter jet that was shot down on Friday in Iranian territory. The President indicated that more than 170 U. S.
military aircraft participated in the operation, including 21 aircraft to recover the first crew member and 155 in the second mission, which allowed for the extraction of the co-pilot. The aircraft included four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft. Trump specified that two transport planes got stuck in the sand and had to be destroyed to prevent the technology from falling into Iranian hands.
Trump recounted that the injured co-pilot climbed a mountain while treating his wounds and used a device to transmit his location to U. S. forces, which allowed for the coordination of the rescue.
The operation was carried out under enemy fire, with no U. S. casualties, in what the President described as a demonstration of "skill and precision, lethality and strength" of the Armed Forces.
Increase in attack volume For his part, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth anticipated that the volume of U. S. attacks against Iran would increase this Tuesday, surpassing the level observed on the first day of the operation.
Trump, accompanied by senior national security advisors, insisted that the U. S. would leave Iran "without bridges or power plants" if an agreement is not reached before the deadline.
The President expressed that he believes Iran is negotiating "in good faith" to reach an agreement before the ultimatum expires. When asked about the possibility of the Iranian population rising up against the regime, Trump stated that "they should do it" and hinted that the consequences would be "great. " He added that, according to intercepts, Iranian citizens were calling for more attacks against the Tehran government.
Regarding the role of Kurdish forces in the conflict, Trump expressed his preference for them to remain on the sidelines. The President highlighted that the decision to extend the deadline until this Tuesday was made to "be a good person" after Easter Sunday, but reiterated that once it expires, Iran will face "the Stone Age," referring to the destruction of essential infrastructure.