President Donald Trump posted a 67-second video on his Truth Social platform showing multiple missiles striking Tehran. The footage captured around half a dozen large explosions lighting up the night sky, followed by smaller blasts. A woman could be heard yelling after one of the strikes, and the sound of fighter jets was audible in the background.
According to Mediaite, Trump captioned the video with: “Many of Iran’s Military Leaders, who have led them poorly and unwisely, are terminated, along with much else, with this massive strike in Tehran!” The strike footage came just hours after Trump issued a new 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, warning that if no deal is reached or the Strait of Hormuz is not opened, the U.S. military will begin striking Iran’s power plants one by one.
He posted, “Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!” This follows a 10-day deadline he had previously set, which is due to expire on Monday. Trump had also previously threatened to bomb Iran’s energy, water, and oil infrastructure if the vital shipping lane remained closed. Iran responded by accusing Trump of planning to commit war crimes.
Direct talks remain out of reach as mediators push for confidence-building steps
These events are taking place on the 35th day of Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28 with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Dozens of other Iranian regime leaders have been eliminated since then.
Trump recently told reporters he is hesitant to name who he is negotiating with, fearing they might get “wiped out” in another strike. Experts have also been warning about the far-reaching environmental impact of the Iran war on Tehran’s residents.
For the past ten days, the U.S. and Iran have been holding indirect negotiations through mediators, including Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, aiming for a ceasefire in exchange for opening the Strait of Hormuz. So far, no significant progress has been made.
Axios reports that Vice President Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have been leading the talks, with Pakistani military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir serving as a key mediator. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and the foreign ministers of Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt have also been involved.
Iran has rejected any proposal for a temporary ceasefire, instead demanding a permanent end to the war with clear guarantees that the U.S. will not attack again. Mediators are currently focusing on confidence-building measures, though it is unclear whether anything can be achieved before Monday’s deadline. The conflict has also been spreading beyond Iran’s borders, after Iran’s counter-strikes drew a second country into the war.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) stated on X that he had spoken with Trump about the ultimatum, saying, “After speaking with President Trump, I am completely convinced that he will use overwhelming military force against the regime if they continue to impede the Strait of Hormuz and refuse a diplomatic solution to achieve our military objectives.”
He added, “If it’s not clear to Iran and others by now that President Trump means what he says then I don’t know when it will ever be.” Since the war began, 13 U.S. service members have died, while Iran has reportedly suffered around 3,500 casualties.
Despite this gap, some critics argue the U.S. is not winning. Commentator David Brooks has claimed the U.S. is “losing every day” the war continues, and that NATO is in “shreds” while world economies are “in crisis” as a result of the conflict.
Published: Apr 5, 2026 07:45 am