A senior Iranian leader reacted to US President Donald Trump's deadline warning, claiming Iran had “clearly won the war” and would only accept terms that secured its gains. Mahdi Mohammadi, adviser to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned America had limited time to “surrender” or his allies would “return to the Stone Age.”
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“Iran has clearly and overtly won the war and will only accept an ending that consolidates its gains and creates a new security regime in the region. The true state of affairs is this: it is Trump who has about 20 hours to either surrender to Iran or his allies will return to the Stone Age. We will not back down!”, Mohammadi said on X on Tuesday.
His response came after Trump issued a stark warning for Iran, setting a firm deadline for compliance. He said a new wave of strikes would begin at 8:00 p.m. ET (00:00 GMT on Wednesday), targeting key infrastructure across Iran. In response, Iran has rejected the ceasefire proposal and instead presented a 10-clause counterplan, including demand for a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of sanctions, etc.
On his deadline threat, the US President warned that bridges and power plants in Iran could be destroyed within hours, adding that “very little is off-limits.”
"They made a proposal, and it's a significant proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough," Trump told reporters during an Easter egg event for children on the White House South Lawn on Monday.
He has demanded that Iran agree to terms he finds acceptable, including ensuring free oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz. The key sea route, blocked by Iran since the war on Feb. 28, has disrupted supply of critical global oil flow, resulting in an energy crisis worldwide.
On Trump's repeated threats to target civilian power plants, his critics maintained it would be a “war crime”. But the US President has dismissed this notion, noting that he is not worried.
"I'm not worried about it. You know what's a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
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Trump's threats follow even as his senior aides are indirectly negotiating with Iran via Pakistan, Reuters reported. The US is seeking a deal to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On the other hand, Iran said it wants a permanent end to war.
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