US-Iran war LIVE: Hours left for Trump's Hormuz ultimatum as US Prez threatens ‘complete demolition’ of Iran's infra

US President Donald Trump on Monday intensified his threats to Iran, declaring the country could be "taken out in one night" during a White House press conference, as his final Tuesday deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz fast approaches.

"The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night," Trump told reporters, following up on an expletive-laden Easter Sunday post on his Truth Social platform where he threatened Tehran with "Hell".

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***** Strait, you crazy b******s, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah," was Trump's ominous weekend warning.

"Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!," he had added, setting the precise deadline for Iran to act.

During Monday's briefing, Trump spelled out exactly what his ultimatum entails. He vowed that if no deal is reached, "every bridge in Iran will be decimated" and "every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again". He claimed the complete demolition would happen over a four-hour period, though he paradoxically added that the US "may even get involved with helping them rebuild their nation".

Asked if he was concerned that striking civilian infrastructure would constitute war crimes, Trump shrugged off the notion, stating he was "not worried about it" and simply adding, "I hope I don't have to do it".

Iran defiant as deadline looms

Iran, however, responded with threats of its own, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf warning that the US president's reckless moves would mean “our whole region is going to burn”.

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign ministry pushed back against the threats, noting that diplomatic negotiations were incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes, as European Union leaders and human rights experts warned that attacking civilian energy grids is illegal and unacceptable under international law.

US rescues missing airman, but at a cost

Trump opened his Monday press conference flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, using the briefing to detail the weekend's action-packed extraction of a downed F-15E fighter jet crew member.

Calling the mission "one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat searches" ever attempted by the US military, Trump described his decision to authorize the rescue as "risky" and "hard". While claiming that Iran "got lucky" when they shot down the jet with a shoulder-fired heat-seeking missile, he emphasized, "in the US military, we leave no American behind".

As Trump celebrated the rescue, Iran claimed that several US aircraft were destroyed during the fierce operation, including two military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters. US officials later confirmed that American commanders had deliberately destroyed the stranded transport planes themselves to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.

Oil markets upended

Amid the effective closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, oil prices continue to show a strong upward trajectory, with the Brent crude benchmark trading around the $110 per barrel mark by Tuesday.

Brent crude was priced significantly lower prior to the start of the war, but has surged dramatically since the US and Israel carried out strikes against Iran on 28 February, plunging the Middle East into chaos. The conflict prompted Iran to close off the Strait of Hormuz—a key waterway through which 20% of the world's oil passes—sending Brent crude soaring past $126 per barrel at its peak earlier in March.

Diplomatic efforts, but no breakthrough

Amid the trading of threats, Trump offered mixed messages on diplomacy, stating he believes Iranian negotiators are acting in "good faith". He called a recent 45-day ceasefire framework presented by Pakistani mediators a "significant step," though he noted Iran's counter-proposal was "not good enough".

A central sticking point remains the Strait of Hormuz. After days of flip-flopping on who should secure the waterway, Trump insisted Monday that any acceptable deal must ensure the "free traffic of oil". In a characteristically unorthodox move, the president even floated the idea of the United States charging its own tolls or fees for ships passing through the strait once reopened.

Despite the diplomatic impasse, there has been minor movement in the vital waterway. Shipping data revealed that a select few vessels, including an Omani-operated tanker, have been granted safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, reflecting Iran's strategic policy to allow passage only for vessels from countries it deems friendly.