US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could be “taken out in one night” if it fails to reach an agreement before a deadline he set for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor.
The deadline for what Trump described as an “acceptable” deal — ensuring the uninterrupted flow of energy through the Gulf — is set for 8pm Tuesday in Washington, DC (midnight GMT Wednesday).
Speaking at the White House, Trump said he believed “reasonable” leaders in Iran were negotiating in “good faith”, though he cautioned that the outcome remained uncertain.
Iran has rejected proposals for a temporary ceasefire, instead demanding a permanent end to hostilities and the removal of sanctions.
The remarks came during a joint news conference with General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, days after US forces recovered two crew members from a downed F-15 fighter jet in southern Iran.
While much of the briefing focused on what Trump described as a “heroic” rescue operation, he reiterated that the United States could target Iran’s energy and transport infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by the deadline.
“The entire country can be taken out in one night – and that night might be tomorrow night,” he said on Monday.
Trump added that failure to comply would result in severe consequences for Iran.
“They’re going to have no bridges,” he said. “They’re going to have no power plants.”
Despite Tehran’s rejection of US proposals, Trump maintained that Iranian officials were continuing to negotiate in good faith, even after senior figures in Iran’s leadership were killed in US and Israeli strikes.
“We’re going to find out,” he said.
A regional official familiar with the discussions said meaningful progress in negotiations was unlikely without a ceasefire.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said communication challenges were complicating efforts, with delays in receiving responses from Iranian officials amid an ongoing blackout.
“To convey messages to Iran, getting a response in a reasonable time is not possible,” the official said. “The average time of response has been a day or so.”
Efforts to mediate the conflict have involved several countries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt.
Trump provided limited detail on Washington’s next steps, saying only that he had “the best plan” but would not disclose it publicly.
Legal experts have warned that sustained attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran could amount to war crimes.
Tess Bridgeman, a former legal adviser to the National Security Council under President Barack Obama, said such actions would violate international law.
“Obliterating all power plants, threatening coercive actions against the civilian population to try to bring a government to the negotiating table, those kinds of things are all flatly illegal,” she told CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
Earlier, Trump dismissed concerns over potential legal consequences and suggested that Iran’s population would be prepared to endure hardship in pursuit of freedom, even though regime change was not his stated objective.
The president also renewed criticism of US allies, including the UK, NATO and South Korea, accusing them of failing to support the United States during the conflict.
“That’s a mark on Nato that will never disappear,” he said, adding that the US does not “need” the UK.
According to the US military’s Central Command, American forces have carried out more than 13,000 strikes across Iran since the conflict began.
