US President Donald Trump said Monday he's “not at all” concerned about committing possible war crimes as he again threatened to destroy Iran's bridges and power plants if Tehran does not meet his Tuesday 8 pm ET deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, the president refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off-limits.

Iran on Monday rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the conflict.

“We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won't be attacked again,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press.

Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people. Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbours.

Here is the latest: Israeli TV station counts down to Trump deadline

As reporters spoke on air, Channel 13 TV's evening newscast showed a large digital clock marking down the hours and minutes until Tuesday night's deadline.

Trump slams Pacific allies for not assisting in Iran fight

The president continued to grumble about NATO allies' refusal to get involved in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and their hesitance to assist US offensive operations against Iran.

But as he wrapped up his lengthy news conference Monday, he also fumed about the lack of support from Pacific allies.

“You know who else didn't help us? South Korea didn't help us,” Trump said.

“You know who else didn't help us? Australia didn't help us. You know who else didn't help us? Japan. We've got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them from North Korea. We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect us from Kim Jong Un, who I get along with very well.”

It would take 4 hrs to destroy Iran's infrastructure: Trump

The president described the consequences that Iran would face if it didn't reach a deal with the US by Trump's 8 pm Tuesday deadline.

“We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night,” Trump said during his Monday news conference.

Power plants in Iran, he continued, would be “burning, exploding and never to be used again”.

Trump refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off limits in the US response.

UN warns US not to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the US that attacking civilian infrastructure is banned under international law, his spokesman said Monday.

“Even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, an attack would still be prohibited if it risks “excessive incidental civilian harm.” A court would need to decide whether such attacks were war crimes, he said.

Trump dismisses Iran war crime concerns

Trump says he's “not at all” concerned about committing war crimes as he continues to threaten the destruction of Iran's bridges and power plants if they don't meet a Tuesday evening deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“I hope I don't have to do it,” Trump added.

Israeli army preparing for weeks of battle against Iran

The military's chief spokesman, Brig Gen Effie Defrin, says the army's chief has approved battle plans for the next three weeks in the absence of a ceasefire.

“Every day that passes, we hit them more and more. Already we have very good achievements, and we want to reach excellent achievements,” he told a press conference Monday.

Israel to export $750 mn rocket system to Greece

The Israeli and Greek defence ministries signed the four-year export agreement Monday in Athens, said a statement from Israel's defence ministry.

Israeli defence giant Elbit Systems will supply the rocket launchers and the warheads to Greece. Greek defence industries are expected to produce some parts of the system.

US fighter jet downed by shoulder-held missile launcher: Trump

Trump said the F-15E fighter jet that set off a two-day search-and-rescue operation was downed by a shoulder-launched rocket.

Trump described the weapon as a “hand-held shoulder missile — heat-seeking missile”.

The president went on to suggest that the fighter jet was ultimately downed not by the explosion but because of related damage to the aircraft's engines.

“They shot it and it got sucked in right by the engine,” Trump said.

Iranian civilians want US to keep bombing: Trump

Asked why Iranians would want him to follow up on his threat to blow up the country's infrastructure, Trump says everyday citizens are “willing to suffer ... in order to have freedom.” “Please keep bombing. Do it,'” Trump claimed US officials have heard Iranians say via “intercepts”.

“And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding,” he said.

He added, “And when we leave and we're not hitting those areas, they're saying, Please come back, come back, come back.'”

Trump says some military personnel opposed rescue op

The president made the disclosure in response to a reporter's question.

“Not everybody was on board,” Trump said. He continued: “There were military people that said, You just don't do this.'” Referring to Hegseth and Caine, Trump made sure to clarify: “These two were totally on board.”

Crashed US warplane hit by enemy fire, general says

A US aircraft that crashed amid the search for the downed airmen was hit by enemy fire while engaging Iranian forces, Gen Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday.

Caine, speaking at a briefing at the White House, said that a US A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft was “violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a close-in gun fight to keep them away” from the pilot of a downed F-15 fighter jet while also being “primarily responsible for communicating with the downed pilot”.

Caine said that after being hit, “this pilot continued to fight, continued the mission, and then upon exit, flew his aircraft into another country and determined that the airplane was not landable.” The pilot then decided to eject over friendly territory and, according to Caine, “was quickly and safely recovered, and is doing fine.”

Hegseth describes 'unblinking' mission in coordination call

The defence secretary said the coordination call held by national security officials during the daring mission to rescue the US airmen lasted nearly two days straight.

“For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination,” Hegseth said, describing the call that was held in a secure facility. “Our mission was unblinking.” Hegseth continued, “The meeting never stopped. The planning never ceased.” The Defence secretary, who has frequently infused his leadership of the Pentagon with references to Christianity and the language of his faith, said the airman who evaded capture for more than a day was shot down on Good Friday, “hidden in a cave” on Saturday, and on Easter Sunday, “a pilot reborn, all home and accounted for.” He said when the airman was finally able to activate an emergency transponder, his first transmitted message was:

“God is good.” Top-secret tech led to rescue of downed airman: CIA

Speaking at a White House press conference, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the agency used “exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service” possesses to locate the aviator after the F-15 was shot down in Iran.

At the same time, the CIA mounted a deception operation to mislead the Iranians who were looking.

Ratcliffe said the search and rescue operation was “comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert”.

The CIA declined to respond to questions Monday about the kind of technology used to locate the airman.

Trump threatens to jail journalist who first reported on downed airman

Trump threatened to jail the journalist who first reported that US forces were searching for an F-15 weapons officer shot down in Iran, if they don't reveal their sources.

“The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn't say, and that doesn't last long,” Trump said.

Trump didn't name the journalist or news organisation. He said the leak tipped off the Iranians, endangering the officer and his rescuers. He called the leaker “a sick person”.

Iran's supreme leader issues rare public statement

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei expressed condolences over the killing of the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence chief.

In a written social media post, Khamenei said Maj Gen Majid Khademi joined a “steadfast line of warriors and fighters” to sacrifice their lives. Israeli strikes have killed dozens of top Iranian leaders, including Khamenei's father.

The younger Khamenei has not been seen or spoken in public since he succeeded his father as supreme leader.

Published on April 7, 2026