WASHINGTON — President Trump said Monday that the United States and Iran are at a “critical point” in negotiating a potential ceasefire agreement, even as he continued to threaten military strikes against Tehran ahead of a Tuesday night deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In a lengthy news briefing at the White House, the president renewed warnings he first issued in an expletive-laden Easter Sunday message, threatening to strike Iran’s vital infrastructure if Tehran does not agree to open the Strait of Hormuz by 5 p.m. PDT on Tuesday.
“The entire country can be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump told reporters.
If the attacks happen, he said Iran’s bridges would be “decimated” and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again” within a four-hour period.
Despite the threats, Trump said he believed Iranian leaders were negotiating in “good faith” and that the war could end “very quickly” if they agree with certain terms.
“The people that we are negotiating with now on behalf of Iran are much more reasonable,” he said.
Trump declined to identify whom the United States is negotiating with, but said the biggest challenge has been establishing reliable communication channels with Iranian leaders. He also declined to say whether he was prepared to offer Iran assurances that he would be willing to wind down the conflict.
“I can’t tell you — it depends on what they do,” he said. “This is a critical period.”
Mediators from Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey sent the United States and Iran a draft proposal of the 45-day ceasefire on Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected the latest ceasefire proposal, saying Monday that the American demands were “both highly excessive and unusual, as well as illogical.” Iranian leaders have also dismissed Trump’s diplomatic overtures as “unrealistic” and have denied direct talks with the United States.
With the deadline hours away and Tehran publicly rejecting the terms on the table, the prospects of a ceasefire deal by Tuesday remained uncertain.
The European Union, meanwhile, urged both sides toward a diplomatic resolution, and urged against targeting infrastructure that could impact civilians.
“Any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable,” EU Chief Antonio Costa wrote on X. “The Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime. It would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded
Central to the negotiations is Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, a choke point that, if left blockaded, could continue driving oil prices higher and further destabilizing global energy markets.
Trump, in characteristically unorthodox fashion, on Monday floated the possibility of the United States seizing operational control of the waterway, and charging tolls for passage, a proposal that he provided without much detail.
“Why shouldn’t we?” Trump said. “We have a concept where we’ll charge tolls.”
He also mused openly about seizing Iranian oil, as he has in recent social media posts in which he suggested the idea of using the war to claim Iranian energy resources. He acknowledged public pressure was holding him back from that course, which he suggested would require more time.
“Unfortunately the American people would like to see us come home,” he said. “If it were up to me, I’d take the oil, keep the oil and make plenty of money.”
Asked why he would blow up infrastructure that could impact civilians, Trump said: “They would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom.”
In addition to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Washington is also demanding the permanent decommissioning of Iranian nuclear sites and an end to its uranium enrichment programs. The proposal also requires Iran to halt support for regional proxies and accept strict ballistic missile limits.
In exchange, the United States says it will provide sanctions relief and assistance with civilian energy production, according to media reports.
Speaking at the White House Easter Egg Roll earlier Monday, Trump showed no signs of softening his posture to bring “hell” to Iran if a deal doesn’t materialize.
“We are obliterating their country. And I hate to do it, but we are obliterating. And they just don’t want to say uncle. … And if they don’t, then they’ll have no bridges, they’ll have no power plants, they’ll have nothing,” he said, adding ominously that “there are other things that are worse than those two.”
Trump reiterated at the news briefing that he is willing to target a range of structures, though he declined to say whether those would include schools or other civilian facilities.
Asked whether he deemed striking Iran’s bridges and power plants a war crime, Trump said he is “not worried about it.”
“You know what’s a war crime? Allowing a sick country with demented leadership to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
Iran threatens retaliation
Iran has warned of “more severe and expansive” retaliation if Trump follows through on the threats.
Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Tehran has responded to American’s demands outlining its own, based on national interests and considerations.
“Whenever necessary, we will communicate it explicitly,” he said in a news conference in Tehran, according to state-affiliated reports.
“Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions.”
Also at Monday’s briefing, Trump and U.S. military officials appeared emboldened by a rescue mission conducted over the weekend to retrieve an American officer whose fighter jet was downed by Iran last week.
Trump told reporters the operation to retrieve the wounded officer from “one of the toughest areas in Iran” was possible with a mix of “talent” and “luck.”
John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, appeared next to Trump at the news briefing to tout the rescue operation, which he said left Iranians “humiliated.”
“To the American people, your confidence should be boosted by knowing that the security of the nation is in the hands of the president,” Ratcliffe said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at one point drew a parallel between the time frame of the rescue mission and the period between Jesus’ death and resurrection.
“Shot down on a Friday: Good Friday. Hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday. And rescued on Sunday, flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday,” Hegseth said.
While celebrating the rescue mission, Trump acknowledged that the mission had been risky and that some military officials had warned against it, in part because he said hundreds of people could have been killed during the ground operations.
“It was a dangerous mission. I just thought it was worth it,” he said.
Shortly after, Trump was asked if he believes God supports his war in Iran, and he said he does because “God is good,” though he said he does not “like seeing people killed.”
Threats over a leak
The president, while noting the risks of the rescue mission, expressed anger that a news outlet, which he did not name, reported that the weapons system officer had gone missing and was stranded behind enemy lines. Trump vowed to root out the source of that information, including by threatening to jail the journalist who broke the story.
“We have to find that leaker because that is a sick person,” Trump said. “We are going to find out, it is national security. The person who did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say.”
Also Monday, Israel struck Iran’s largest petrochemical facility in Asaluyeh and killed Gen. Majid Khademi, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ intelligence organization.
The Israeli military also hit three Iranian airports, purportedly targeting dozens of helicopters and aircraft it said belonged to the Iranian air force.
Iran responded with missile strikes targeting Haifa, Israel, and energy infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Ceballos, Wilner and Quinton reported from Washington, Bulos from Beirut.
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