The Pentagon abruptly cancelled a Tuesday morning scheduled press briefing by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth — just hours ahead of President Donald Trump’s 8 p.m. deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating military strikes.
Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine were set to brief reporters at 8 a.m. No reason was given for the cancellation.
Trump has made clear the clock is ticking. On Sunday, the president warned in a Truth Social post:
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*stards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
On Monday, Trump has appeared alongside Hegseth and Caine at a White House briefing and described the scope of the potential operation.
“We have a plan where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business — burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said. “I mean, complete demolition by 12 o’clock.”
“The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.”
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported Tuesday that Tehran has rejected the latest ceasefire proposal.
Tuesday’s deadline is the latest in a series of warnings that have been extended repeatedly since March. Trump first threatened strikes on March 21, setting a 48-hour deadline that he said was extended by fruitful negotiations. He extended it to March 26, then again to April 6, each time warning that failure of the Iranians to negotiate would bring devastation.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since late February, when the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes on Iran after failed nuclear negotiations. The waterway carries roughly 20% of global seaborne oil trade, and its closure has rattled energy markets worldwide.