A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
President Trump says Iran has until 8 p.m. Eastern tonight to accept a deal that includes opening the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. starts blowing up bridges and power plants.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
That was Trump speaking at a lengthy press conference Monday. He says Iran's next moves will determine whether the war is winding down or escalating. Coming up, we'll speak with the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee about the president's mixed messages. First, let's take a closer look at those messages.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez was at that press conference. So, Franco, it started off with all of them talking about the missing airman whose plane was shot down by Iranian forces. Where'd it go from there?
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Yeah. Trump, along with the defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the CIA director, really gave a detailed description of the heroic efforts by the military to rescue that missing airman. You know, and that involved hundreds of troops, the destruction of downed aircraft that they did not want the Iranians to seize, and a lot of deception, actually, to try and confuse the Iranians where the officer actually was. But as you know, A, Trump also veered in so many other directions. It was at times a rambling account of gripes against foreign countries who did not join the fight. He called NATO a paper tiger and even joked about his popularity in Venezuela. But he really left no question, though, about plans to attack the power plants and bridges if a deal is not reached later today.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
TRUMP: 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, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again. I mean complete demolition.
ORDOÑEZ: And, A, he said all that will happen over the course of just four hours if they want it to.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. Now, he's made that threat before. Last time, he delayed those strikes because of negotiations. Where do those negotiations stand?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. Talks are continuing. Trump said they have an active, willing participant on the other side, a more moderate one that the U.S. can work with. And there is a proposal for a 45-day ceasefire that continues to be kind of hammered out. That's an effort led by Pakistan, involves Egypt and Turkey. Trump called the latest proposal a significant step but not good enough. That said, the Iranians rejected it.
MARTÍNEZ: So I'm thinking - I'm kind of remembering back, Franco, because Trump has veered from this war is about to end to now we're on the precipice of a very significant escalation that includes bombing Iran into the Stone Age. So which is it at this point?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I mean, I think that's the critical question. And interestingly, Trump admitted that he didn't know either.
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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you escalating it?
TRUMP: I can't tell you. I don't know. I can't tell you. Depends what they do. This is a critical period.
ORDOÑEZ: Again, he mentioned the 8 p.m. deadline later today, saying he'd already previously given a 10-day extension, which he extended again 'cause he didn't think it was appropriate to strike on Easter.
MARTÍNEZ: Did he say anything at all about the potential impacts on the Iranian people?
ORDOÑEZ: Well, I mean, I should say that at the same time he's making these threats, he also says that he hopes it doesn't come to this. I mean, he basically said this will take decades to rebuild the country if the U.S. follows through with these threats. But Trump also says the U.S. is receiving reports from inside Iran that the people were willing to suffer in order to have that freedom. In response, though, the Iranian president posted on X that 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to sacrifice their lives in the war.
MARTÍNEZ: That's White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Thanks a lot, Franco.
ORDOÑEZ: Thanks, A. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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