On the 6th, in a press conference held at the White House, U.S. President Trump threatened Iran, stating that the U.S. military would need only "four hours" to destroy all of Iran's bridges and power stations.
However, he also stated that negotiations with the Iranian side are progressing very smoothly.
At the press conference, he said the U.S. side is engaged in dialogue with Iran, with Vice President Vance and Presidential Envoy Witkoff participating.
He said: "I think everything is going smoothly, but we’ll have to wait and see. I cannot talk about a ceasefire, but I can tell you that the other side is a positive and willing participant. They want to reach an agreement. Beyond that, I can't disclose any more."
At the press conference, Trump pointed out that if Iran fails to reach an agreement by 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the 7th to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he will launch an airstrike lasting four hours.
He said: "We have a plan: by (Eastern Time) 24:00 tomorrow, every bridge in Iran will be completely destroyed; every power station will be totally paralyzed. They will be engulfed in flames, explode, and can never be used again."
He pointed out, "If we wish, all of this can be done in just four short hours. However, we do not want this kind of thing to happen."
The conflict depends on Iran's response to the deadline
Trump said whether the conflict with Iran is about to escalate or come to an end depends on Iran's response to the deadline—8 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time—he has set.
He indicated this is a critical time and the deadline is tomorrow. Now, it’s a matter of watching how events unfold.
Trump threatened that the entire country could be destroyed overnight, and that night could be tomorrow night.
When asked by the media whether destroying Iran's civilian infrastructure and cutting off power supply would be punishing the Iranian people, Trump said: "They are willing... they are willing to endure this hardship."
Earlier that day at a White House event, Trump told the media that after he issued an ultimatum on the 5th, Iranian negotiators made a major proposal. Although it was not good enough, it was indeed an important step. "Iran has taken a very important step. We’ll wait and see."
He also arrogantly claimed that the Iranian people "want to hear the sound of bombs."