US President Donald Trump made it clear in a speech he delivered this evening (Monday) that the deadline he set for reaching the agreement until tomorrow remains in place, and issued additional threats against the regime in Tehran.
"The entire country [of Iran] can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night" Trump said. The remarks came after Iran rejected the offer of a temporary ceasefire and demanded an end to the war subject to several conditions: an end to conflicts in the region, the establishment of a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the restoration of infrastructure and the complete lifting of sanctions.
Trump emphasized that "Tuesday is the deadline. The Iranians have made an offer, a significant offer, a significant step. It's not enough, but a very significant step. They are negotiating now and they have made a very significant step."
He stated that the individuals with whom the American administration is in contact are demonstrating a more moderate approach than before. "The group we are talking to is not as extreme as the previous one - and it is also smarter," the president claimed.
Alongside the optimistic tone on negotiations, the American president continued to threaten Iran with the use of military force if the talks fail. "We are crushing this country. I hate to do that. If they don't make a deal, they won't have bridges, power plants or anything else. If I had a choice - I would take their oil. But the American people want to see the soldiers come home. The American people want to see us win," Trump clarified.
The rejection of the Iranian proposal comes after Pakistan submitted a two-stage plan to Iran and the United States that includes an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of reaching a final agreement within 15 to 20 days.
Addressing the dramatic rescue of a navigator whose aircraft crashed in Iran over the weekend, Trump stated: "We're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing, combat searches, I guess you would call it a search-and-rescue mission, ever attempted by the military."
He revealed that Iran learned that the airman was missing because a "leaker" revealed the information, and stated that "We have to get that leaker" and that the culprit would go to prison when caught.
Following President Trump's remarks, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that the amount of bombing today in Iran will be the highest since the beginning of the war - tomorrow, even more than today. And Iran has a choice. Choose wisely because this president does not play around."
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that the rescue operation involved "a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airmen."
"We achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America's best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to the enemy, but not to the CIA," Ratcliffe said.