WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday pledged to carry out widespread strikes against bridges, power plants and more in Iran if Tehran does not reach a deal with his administration by his 8 p.m. deadline Tuesday, declaring it would take just hours to decimate the country.
“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.
Taking questions from reporters at a news conference at the White House, Trump dismissed concerns that hitting civilian infrastructure could constitute war crimes. He instead insisted that the Iranian people wanted the U.S. to continue with its military campaign and are willing to see the destruction of the country in the quest for freedom.
Asked if any specific types of civilian targets were off-limits, Trump would not say.
The president also said that whether he was winding down the war or escalating it depends on what Iran does between Monday and his Tuesday night deadline, calling this time a “critical period.”
Iran on Monday rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the war.
Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators had sent Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a proposal calling for the ceasefire and the strait’s reopening, two Mideast officials told the AP. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei earlier told journalists that “negotiations are entirely incompatible with ultimatums, crimes and threats of war crimes.”
The initial premise of Trump’s news conference, announced by Trump on Sunday, was to tout the rescue of two airmen in Iran over the weekend, which the president called historic.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.