U.S. President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Iran on Monday, warning that American forces could target critical infrastructure if Tehran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.
Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump said the U.S. military had prepared a plan to strike key assets, including bridges and power facilities.
“We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night,” he said.
.@POTUS: “We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business…it’ll happen over a period of 4hrs if we want it to. We don’t want that to happen.” pic.twitter.com/965HCIV9HB
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026
The president also signaled he would only agree to end the conflict — which began on Feb. 28 — under terms set by Washington.
“We have to have a deal that’s acceptable to me, and part of that deal’s going to be we want free traffic of oil, and everything else.”
His remarks came as last-minute diplomatic efforts continue.
.@POTUS: “We have to have a deal that’s acceptable to me, and part of that deal’s going to be we want free traffic of oil, and everything else.” pic.twitter.com/t8GTMTxqJm
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026
Iran is weighing a Pakistan-backed proposal that would pause hostilities for 45 days, but officials in Tehran have rejected temporary arrangements, instead demanding a permanent end to the war along with guarantees against future attacks.
At the same time, Israel has reportedly instructed its security forces to prepare for up to three more weeks of fighting if negotiations fail.
Trump warned that Iranian power infrastructure could be severely damaged in potential strikes.
Pakistan Proposes Ceasefire Framework as US, Iran Weigh De-escalation Plan
“They’ll be burning, exploding and never to be used again,” he said, while also indicating that bridges could be among the targets.
He did not explicitly rule out broader categories of targets.
Earlier, Trump extended his deadline for Iran to comply by one day, shifting it from April 6 to Tuesday evening. On Sunday, he said his advisers were engaged in “deep” discussions with Iranian counterparts, raising cautious hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough.
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
