'Iran could be taken out': 5 quotes from Trump as 'final' Hormuz deadline looms
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US President Donald Trump said on Monday the Tuesday deadline he has set for Iran to make a deal is final and unlikely to be extended.
Trump has warned US forces will unleash broad attacks on Iranian infrastructure if his Tuesday night deadline for a deal is not met.
1. 'Iran could be taken out'
During an 83-minute press conference, Trump warned that Iran could be "taken out" if it did not meet his newly updated deadline to reach a deal.
"The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night," he said, referring to the 8pm EDT Tuesday (4am Wednesday UAE time) deadline he set for Iran to meet US demands or face the destruction of its national infrastructure.
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The US President said he needed a deal that's "acceptable" to him, which he said included "free traffic of oil and everything."
He vowed to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges, brushing off concerns that such actions could alienate Iran's 93 million people. But he said the US has an active and willing partner in Iran for negotiations, adding that he hopes the US doesn't have to bomb Iran's infrastructure.
"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.
2. 'Not worried about war crime'
Critics have said Trump would be committing war crimes if the US attacked civilian power plants, a point that Trump dismissed on Monday.
Responding to a reporter during the press conference, he added, "I hope I don't have to do it."
3. War could 'end quickly'
Trump said the five-week conflict could end quickly if Iran does "what they have to do."
"They have to do certain things. They know that, they've been negotiating I think in good faith," he said. Trump, who had extended his initial deadline, gave no indication he would do so again.
"Highly unlikely. They've had plenty of time. In fact, they asked for seven days. I said, I'm going to give you 10. But at the end of 10, all hell's going to break out if you don't get there," he said.
Trump's senior aides have been negotiating with Iran indirectly through Pakistan, attempting to get a deal in which Iran will forswear nuclear weapons and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the oil transit waterway. Iran said it wanted a permanent end to the war, not just a temporary ceasefire.
Trump said it appeared the latest team representing the Iranian government is "not as radicalised" as others who have been killed in airstrikes.
"We think they're actually smarter," he said.
4. Iranians 'willing to suffer for freedom'
Asked if destroying Iranian infrastructure wouldn't be akin to punishing the Iranian people, Trump acknowledged it would be suffering but added, "They would be willing to suffer that for their freedom."
The President claimed the US has intercepted several messages from Iranians asking for strikes to continue to gain their 'freedom'.
"They have lived in a world that you know nothing about," he added. "It's a violent, horrible world, where if you protest, you are shot."
5. 'Take Iran's oil'
Trump said if it were up to him, the United States would take control of Iran's oil. "If it were up to me, yeah, because I'm a businessman first."
The President then referred to the January 3 operation in Venezuela, during which US forces captured Maduro and struck a deal to import Venezuelan crude worth billions of dollars.
"With Venezuela, as you know, the war was over in 45 minutes... We are a partner with Venezuela, and we've taken hundreds of millions of barrels... To the victor go the spoils," he added, referencing an old adage.
But he said the American people would probably not understand such a move if it were done in Iran too.
(With inputs from Reuters)
