Trump: Iran can be destroyed overnight, maybe it will happen tomorrow night
US President Donald Trump addressed the media on his 48-hour ultimatum to Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz and hailed the dramatic rescue of an F-15 pilot from the Iranian mountains
US President Trump warned Monday that Iran could be “destroyed in one night” and that such action “could happen tomorrow night,” as Washington’s ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz moves toward expiration.
Speaking to the media, Trump said Iran faces severe consequences if it fails to reopen the waterway by his deadline of Tuesday 8pm EST.
The remarks came alongside an account of what Trump described as one of the most complex rescue operations ever conducted by the US military, involving the extraction of two American pilots from Iranian territory. He called it “one of the greatest rescue missions in history” and said it demonstrated U.S. military dominance under extreme conditions.
According to Trump, the operation mobilized 155 aircraft, including fighter jets, refueling tankers, and rescue platforms, with a coordinated deception plan designed to mislead Iranian forces. He said aircraft flew at very low altitude under heavy fire, helicopters came under attack, and multiple diversionary movements were used to confuse enemy tracking.
“They sent 200 men to save one… but in the United States Armed Forces, we never leave a man behind,” Trump said, adding that the mission required extraordinary risk and precision.
The pilot survived for 48 hours in hostile territory while injured, treating his own wounds and evading capture despite an Iranian bounty of $60,000 placed on his head. Trump said the situation was complicated by a leak that revealed part of the operation, potentially endangering the remaining crew member still in the field. He vowed those responsible would be prosecuted, calling the leaker a “sick man.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the operation depended on rapid intelligence coordination and deception tactics to locate and extract the stranded personnel, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the forces involved, saying Iranian troops were left “embarrassed and humiliated” by the outcome.
Trump also said U.S. forces have carried out more than 10,000 sorties and struck roughly 13,000 targets in the broader campaign, framing the rescue as part of a wider military escalation.
In his remarks, Trump intensified rhetoric against Tehran, warning that the U.S. is prepared to strike strategic infrastructure including power plants, bridges, and energy facilities if Iran does not comply with demands over Hormuz. “Iran can be destroyed in a single night… and that night could be tomorrow,” he said.