Shafaqna Pakistan: A deadline approached on Tuesday for Iran to accept a proposed deal or face what US President Donald Trump warned would be the “complete demolition” of the country’s critical civilian infrastructure.
The Iranian military responded defiantly, stating that Trump’s “arrogant rhetoric and baseless threats” would not affect their operations against US and Israeli forces.
Now five weeks into the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Trump demanded that Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping by midnight GMT on Tuesday, warning of a devastating new round of bombings if the deadline was missed.
“We have a plan… where every bridge in Iran will be destroyed by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, every power plant will be out of service, burning, exploding, and never to be used again,” Trump said, dismissing concerns that such action could constitute a war crime.
Speaking at a press conference, he added, “I mean complete demolition by 12 o’clock, and it could happen over a period of four hours—if we chose to do it,” while also recounting the rescue of two crew members from a US F-15 fighter jet shot down over Iran last week.
Both Trump and Iran said, meanwhile, that a proposal touted by international mediators for a 45-day ceasefire is not yet ready.
Trump had said earlier that the plan, which the US media said is being mediated by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, was a “significant proposal,” but he later went on to say it was not good enough.
Iranian state media quoted officials as saying that Tehran too “has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict.”
The Iranian army’s Khatam Al-Anbiya central command, responding to Trump’s threats, called him “delusional” and said “crushing operations of the warriors of Islam against the American and Zionist enemies” would continue.
Source: The News
