Trump Reveals What Happens If Iran Doesn't Meet '8 Pm' Deadline: 'US Is Ready To...'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) What will happen if Iran doesn't meet US President Donald Trump's 8 pm ET Tuesday night deadline? It won't be extended this time. Trump has clarified that if Iran fails to agree to a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz by 8 pm ET Tuesday, the US will likely resort to "heavy strikes" in Iran.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump confirmed that the US is ready to carry out "heavy strikes" against Iran if his 8 pm deadline is not met Tuesday. He promised that“8 pm is happening.”

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Fox News' Bret Baier said he spoke with Trump and asked him, "...what were the odds that this is going to end up being a negotiated deal?"

"He [Trump] said he wasn't going to put odds on it. But he [Trump] said, 8 pm is happening. That's what he said," Baier was quoted by Fox News as saying on Tuesday.

"He [Trump] said, it is, if we get to that point, there is going to be an attack like they have not seen," Baier informed.

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Trump also told the Fox News host that if negotiations move forward today and "there is something concrete, that could change."

"But at this hour, he didn't want to put odds on it. But he said it is moving forward with the plans that we have. That's a huge deal," he added.

Trump's '8 pm' deadline

President Donald Trump issued a fresh ultimatum to Iran on Tuesday, threatening to wipe out the entire civilization of Iran if the 48-hour deadline is not met.

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

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"We will find out tonight - one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world," Trump wrote, referencing his 8 pm ET deadline for Iran to agree to a ceasefire and reopen the strait.

Trump has extended previous deadlines but suggested the one set for 8 pm in Washington was final, and the rhetoric on both sides reached a fever pitch, leaving Iranians on edge.

On March 21, Trump declared in a Truth Social post that if Iran did not "FULLY OPEN" the strait within 48 hours, the United States would“obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”

Also Read | Iran fires back over Trump's 'civilization will die' threat: 'You never had one'

Ali Mousavi, Iran's permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, responded by saying that the Strait of Hormuz was "open to everyone" except Tehran's enemies.

Meanwhile, other Iranian officials warned earlier that attacks on energy infrastructure would amount to an attack on the Iranian people and would be met with retaliation.

Vance says Iran has '2 pathways'

According to Fox News, Vice President JD Vance said that Iran has "two pathways" it can take regarding the conclusion of the war as Trump's deadline ticks closer.

Speaking in Hungary, Vance was quoted as saying,“I think there really are two pathways, and I'm oversimplifying this a little bit, but I think pathway one is where the Iranians decide they're going to be a normal country.”

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"They're not going to fund terrorism anymore. They're going to be part of the world system of commerce and exchange," Vance continued. "And that's going to mean much better things for them economically. It's going to mean better things for the peace and safety of the world. It's going to mean a lot of good things for a lot of people all over the planet. That's option A," Vance reportedly said.

"Option B is that the Iranians don't come to the table and they stay committed to terrorism, to terrorising their neighbours, not just Israel but of course their Arab neighbors too. Then the economic situation in Iran is going to continue to be very, very bad. And frankly, it will probably get worse," the vice president was quoted by Fox News as saying.

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