Amid the ongoing conflict in Iran, US President Donald Trump said on Monday (local time) that “the entire country of Iran could be destroyed overnight”.
Trump went on to say that the night could be tomorrow night. He made the remarks at a White House press conference.
His warning came days after he set a deadline of 20:00 ET (5:30 IST, the next day) for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway responsible for transporting nearly a fifth of the world’s oil reserves. If the Islamic Republic fails to meet its deadline, Trump has warned of widespread destruction of its infrastructure.
Trump warns Iran
Earlier on April 5, Trump shared a message on Truth Social that many believe is the timing of the coming attack on Iran. He wrote: “Tuesday, 8pm EST!” That will be early Wednesday morning in India.
In another post, he wrote: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day all rolled into one in Iran. Nothing like it!!! Open the fucking strait you crazy bastards or live in hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
When Trump called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, he used explicit language and warned of dire consequences if Tehran did not comply. He said coordinated attacks on Iran’s power plants and bridges would be a punitive example rather than a military operation.
Iran blames Trump
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Trump of acting at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned that Washington was responsible for dragging the Middle East region into a wider disaster.
In a message shared in English, Ghalibaf asserted that Tehran would not be coerced by threats, adding that the US position was a violation of international law. Russia, a key Iranian ally, has also called on Washington to drop the ultimatum and return to negotiations.
Iran rejects the ceasefire proposal
Iran on Monday (local time) rejected a proposal for a 45-day truce, adding that it wanted to end the war permanently, AP reported. Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo, told the AP: “We accept the end of the war only with guarantees that we will not be attacked again.” IRNA, the state news agency, said Tehran communicated its response through Pakistan, a key intermediary.
Iran’s refusal came after Israel attacked a key petrochemical plant in the South Pars natural gas region, killing two paramilitary Revolutionary Guard commanders.
US-Iran War
The US-Iran war has now entered its sixth week and shows no signs of abating. Earlier, Trump announced a five-day pause in fighting, citing “productive” talks with Tehran. However, the Islamic Republic denied the claims. After that, both Israel and Iran continued their missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure.
In addition, the Islamic Republic rejected the 15-point draft plan sent by Washington, calling it “illogical” and instead presented five demands to end the war. In an interview with Press TV, an Iranian official stated that the war will now end on Tehran’s timeline and not Trump’s.
