Washington: Iran has until 8 p.m. Eastern Time (5.30 am IST Wednesday) to “make a deal” with the United States, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday, underscoring a hard deadline set by President Donald Trump amid escalating tensions.
“The Iranian regime has until 8 PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States. Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do,” Leavitt said.
Her remarks come as Trump publicly signalled both the risk of catastrophic escalation and the possibility of political change inside Iran.
“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump said in a social media post, adding: “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
He also pointed to what he described as a decisive shift underway.
“However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalised minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?” he said.
Trump framed the moment as historic.
“We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World,” he added.
Vice President JD Vance earlier stressed that Washington’s objective was to force a change in Iran’s behaviour, while leaving the path to de-escalation open if Tehran engaged.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, reiterated that the United States was prepared to act decisively to protect its interests and ensure stability in critical global energy routes.
The statements reflect a coordinated message from the administration — combining a firm deadline, warnings of severe consequences, and continued pressure on Iran’s leadership.
Over the past several days, U.S. military operations have expanded in scope, targeting Iranian-linked infrastructure and raising the risk of a broader regional conflict.
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