US President Donald Trump has given a stark ultimatum to Iran to make a deal before Tuesday at 8 pm (ET), warning of sweeping strikes on critical infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, in the Middle East country.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said Iran had been given sufficient time to negotiate an end to the ongoing conflict. “This is a critical period,” he said, noting that Tehran had requested a seven-day extension but was granted ten.
“A lot of people are affected by this. We are giving them until tomorrow, 8 o'clock, Eastern Time. After that, they are going to have no bridges. They are going to have no power plants. Stone ages," he said.
Trump claimed Iran’s military strength has significantly declined over the past month and the country has now been “decapitated”.
"I think it is going fine, but we will have to see. You have to understand, we have been dealing with these people for 47 years. I'm standing here with a much more powerful Iran than a month ago, not anymore. Right now, they are decapitated," he said.
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The remarks have raised concerns about potential violations of international law, particularly regarding attacks on civilian infrastructure. UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated that such actions are prohibited under international law.
Trump, however, brushed off such claims an said he's "not at all" concerned about committing war crimes. "I hope I don't have to do it," he added.
He also claimed that the Iranian people have supported continued strikes in the cuntry, suggesting they are willing to endure hardship in pursuit of freedom.
"We have had numerous intercepts, 'Please keep bombing'... and these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding... they want freedom. They have lived in a world that you know nothing about. It is a violent, horrible world where if you protest, you are shot," he said.
"And when we leave and we're not hitting those areas, they're saying, Please come back, come back, come back”.