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Trump's Tuesday Deadline on Iran Approaches as the White House Ramps Up the Threats

Christine Bowen's profile
By Christine Bowen
April 7, 2026
Trump's Tuesday Deadline on Iran Approaches as the White House Ramps Up the Threats

U.S. President Donald Trump is warning Iran that it could be "taken out in one night," which "might" be Tuesday. The president made the comments in a lengthy press conference on Monday afternoon. Here is a look at what Trump said about his plans in the Middle East as the war with Iran rages on.

White House Ramps Up Threats Against Iran

Speaking from the White House on Monday, President Trump was joined by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to give an update on the war with Iran. The administration kicked off the press conference by recounting the rescue of a U.S. service member over the weekend after a military aircraft was shot down.

The president became animated when detailing the rescue mission, invoking God and praising the courage of the forces. Trump warned that his team is searching for the “leaker” behind the first reports that an Air Force officer was missing after the fighter jet was brought down. He went on to say that the reporter who leaked the story could face prison time.

When asked by reporters about future plans, Trump would not confirm whether the war is winding down or escalating. Instead, he put it in the hands of the Iranians, saying that it "depends on what they do."

The president spoke about his Tuesday deadline requiring that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying that he has already given them an extension. Trump told the media that he believes that Iranian authorities are negotiating in good faith to work out a deal before his 8 pm Tuesday deadline.

Trump did not offer a lot of concrete information about a potential ceasefire following reports that Iran rejected a proposal put in front of them on Monday. While Trump said that he cannot talk about the details of the ceasefire proposal, he said that a deal is not completely off the table.

The Trump administration reiterated that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is a required tenet of any proposal to end the war. Trump said that "part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and everything." The rhetoric coming out of the White House has ratcheted up in recent days. Trump said that the U.S. military has a plan to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran by midnight Tuesday should a deal not be reached.

Expanding on the threat, Trump said that the "complete demolition" could take place over just four hours. Critics of the president note that targeting civilian infrastructure could fall under the designation of a war crime.  It should be noted that the president has changed deadlines several times over the past few weeks.

The White House came under fire over the weekend after Trump posted a rant on Truth Social on Easter Sunday. The post contained an expletive and harsh language, ending with Trump writing "Praise be to Allah" and calling the Iranians "crazy bastards."

When asked about the social media post on Monday, Trump interrupted the reporter and said he did not care about his critics. He also dismissed questions about how he would respond to people saying that his mental health should be evaluated, suggesting that there should be "more people like me."  

Lastly, the president used the time behind the podium on Monday to criticize U.S. allies who are not helping with the war in Iran. Trump called these countries out individually for not supporting his efforts in the Middle East.

Another Deadly Day in Several Countries in the Middle East

The president spoke on the heels of another deadly day across the Middle East as the conflict deepens and spreads. At least 13 people were killed in Iran as a result of an attack on two residential structures in Baharestan County. The county's governor confirmed the loss of life in the densely populated area located to the southwest of Tehran.

Mehr News reported that four people were killed and seven more injured in eastern Tehran after an early-morning strike on a residential area. This is in addition to at least 10 fatalities and dozens of injuries reported in overnight attacks on Lebanon. Israel's military officials confirmed that it targeted weapons storage facilities and launchers in Lebanon during the attack.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it killed two senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials. This news comes after four people were confirmed to be dead in Haifa, Israel, at the hands of an Iranian strike.

Israeli officials also confirmed on Monday that its forces hit a petrochemical complex in the southwestern energy hub of Asaluyeh in Iran. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the military was able to intercept several missiles sent toward Jerusalem from Iran. Officials in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia also said that they intercepted missiles headed in their direction on Monday.


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