Trump threatens to take out Iran in ‘one night’ if no deal before deadline
Trump threatens to take out Iran in ‘one night’ if no deal before deadline
US President Donald Trump has issued a warning that Iran could face devastating consequences within a single night if it fails to reach a deal before a specified deadline. The timeline is set for 20:00 Washington DC time on Tuesday, which corresponds to 00:00 GMT on Wednesday. At the White House, Trump emphasized that he believed Iranian leaders were engaging in negotiations with sincerity, yet uncertainty still looms over the outcome.
Iran has rejected calls for a temporary pause in hostilities, instead pushing for a lasting resolution to the conflict and the removal of sanctions. Trump’s remarks were delivered during a joint press event with General Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. This follows the successful retrieval of two F-15 crew members who were captured after their jet was shot down in southern Iran.
“The entire country can be taken out in one night – and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump stated on Monday.
He reiterated that the US might target Iran’s energy and transportation systems if the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy artery, remains closed by Tuesday. “They’re going to have no bridges,” he added, “and no power plants.” The president also claimed that without a deal, Iran would be “sent back to the Stone Ages.”
A regional official, who wished to stay anonymous due to the sensitivity of the talks, noted that meaningful progress in negotiations is unlikely without a ceasefire. The official highlighted ongoing challenges in communication, as a blackout has hindered timely exchanges with Iranian officials. “Getting a response in a reasonable time is not possible,” they explained, “with an average delay of a day or so.”
Trump expressed confidence in Iran’s willingness to endure hardships for freedom, even as he criticized key allies like the UK, NATO, and South Korea for not supporting the US during the conflict. “That’s a mark on NATO that will never disappear,” he said, suggesting the US no longer relies on the UK.
Legal analysts have raised concerns that prolonged attacks on Iran’s infrastructure could qualify as war crimes. A former Obama-era National Security Council legal advisor told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that “obliterating all power plants, threatening coercive actions against the civilian population to force a government to the negotiating table – those kinds of things are all flatly illegal.”
According to the US military’s Central Command, American forces have carried out over 13,000 strikes across Iran since the conflict began. Despite Iran’s previous refusal to accept US demands, Trump maintained optimism about the possibility of a favorable agreement, citing the impact of recent strikes on Iranian leadership. “We’re going to find out,” he concluded, leaving the details of his strategy undisclosed to the media.