Trump address highlights: US President says, ‘Every bridge will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night’

Donald Trump address highlights: US President Trump started his press conference by praising the US rescue operation over the weekend.

Trump is accompanied by his top national security team, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Calling it “one of our better Easters,” Trump opened the press conference by highlighting the dramatic rescue of two US airmen in Iran over the weekend.

"We're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing, combat searches, I guess you would call it a search-and-rescue mission, ever attempted by the military," he said.

He also said: "The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night."

The US President has threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran if it does not make a deal by 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (midnight GMT) to open the Strait of Hormuz.

The briefing comes amid rising tensions, with Trump warning of potential strikes on Iranian infrastructure if Tehran fails to comply.

The developments unfold against a backdrop of escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict and ongoing domestic challenges, including a prolonged government shutdown and political divisions in Washington.

Here are the updates:

00:35 IST

Trump on taking Iran oil: “If I had my choice, yeah — I’m a businessman first”

Asked about his earlier remarks on wanting Iran’s oil while acknowledging Americans want troops home, Trump doubled down: "If I had my choice, yeah, because I'm a businessman first."

"To the winner belong the spoils, go the spoils," he said.

"And I've said, 'Why don't we use it?" he continued, referring to the phase. "To the victor, go the spoils, and we don't have that — we haven't had that in this country probably in 100 years."

00:29 IST

“Not just NATO… South Korea, Japan, Australia didn’t help us,” Trump Says

Trump blasted NATO, South Korea, Japan and Australia for refusing to join the United States in the conflict with Iran, even saying the US didn’t “need them,” as many declined to support or assist in operations.

"They've actually gone out of their way not to help. They didn't even want to give us landing strips," Trump said. "And it's not just NATO. You know who else didn't help us? South Korea didn't help us. You know who else didn't help us, or Australia didn't help us? You know who else didn't help us? Japan."

00:21 IST

Trump says “we have to have a deal that’s acceptable to me”

"We have to have a deal that's acceptable to me. And part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and everything," Trump said.

00:15 IST

Trump threatens Iran: “Every bridge will be decimated by 12 O’clock tomorrow night”

“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,” Trump said during his news conference.

Power plants in Iran, he continued would be “burning, exploding and never to be used again.”

00:08 IST

Escalation or de-escalation? Trump refuses to say

"I can't tell you," he said. "I can't tell you. I don't know."

"It depends what they do," he added.

"They have till tomorrow," Trump said. "Now we'll see what happens. I can tell you, they're negotiating, we think in good faith, we're going to find out. We're getting the help of some incredible countries that want this to be ended, because it affects them also."

00:02 IST

“I’d love to keep that a secret” — Top US General dodges Trump's question on how many troops were sent into Iran

Trump asked Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine how many troops were sent into Iran for the rescue, and Caine responded: “I'd love to keep that a secret.”

23:57 IST

Trump: “We have an active, willing participant on the other side”

Trump said the US has an “active, willing participant on the other side” in negotiations.

On a potential ceasefire, he added: “I can't talk about ceasefire… They would like to be able to make a deal. I can't say any more than that.”

Asked about his threat to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges, Trump said: “No, not at all. I hope I don't have to do it.”

He confirmed ongoing talks: “I can tell you they're negotiating, we think, in good faith. We're going to find out.”

23:48 IST

Gen. Caine says downed A-10 pilot ejected safely after engaging Iranian forces

A US aircraft crashed during the search for downed airmen after being hit by enemy fire, Gen. Dan Caine said.

The aircraft was an A-10 Thunderbolt, tasked with protecting the downed F-15 pilot.

The A-10 pilot was “violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a close-in gun fight” to keep Iranian forces away.

The aircraft was also “primarily responsible for communicating with the downed pilot.”

After being hit, the pilot “continued to fight, continued the mission,” then flew into another country and found the plane unlandable.

The pilot ejected over friendly territory and was “quickly and safely recovered.”

Gen. Caine confirmed the pilot is doing fine.

23:44 IST

Trump says “Iranians would accept strikes for their freedom”

Trump was asked if targeting Iran’s infrastructure would punish civilians for the regime’s actions.

He responded: “They would be willing to suffer that for their freedom.”

The President said Iranians support US strikes, emphasizing: “They want freedom.”

Trump described the environment in Iran: “They have lived in a world that you know nothing about… It’s a violent, horrible world, where if you protest, you are shot.”

23:41 IST

Trump cautions on deadly reprisals

When questioned about whether Iranians should revolt against their government during a ceasefire, Trump responded: "They should do, but again, the consequences are great ... they were told if you protest, you will be shot immediately."

23:32 IST

“A pilot reborn” — Hegseth frames rescue in Easter symbolism

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked religious imagery while describing the rescue mission

-Said the downed airman was shot down on Good Friday, “hidden in a cave” on Saturday, and “reborn” by Easter Sunday

-Revealed the first message sent after activating the emergency transponder: “God is good”

-Praised U.S. military force during the operation, warning: “Death from above” for any Iranian forces approaching the pilot

23:29 IST

“Like finding a grain of sand” — CIA on hunt for missing pilot

CIA Director John John Ratcliffe says agency used “exquisite technologies” to locate downed US airman

-Claims capabilities are unmatched by any other intelligence service

-Operation launched after F-15 fighter jet was shot down in Iran

CIA director says it also ran a deception campaign to mislead Iranian search efforts

Ratcliffe compares mission to “hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert”

Highlights extreme difficulty of locating the stranded aviator

23:27 IST

“For 45 hours and 56 minutes” — Hegseth on nonstop rescue coordination

The defense secretary said the coordination call held by national security officials during the daring mission to rescue the U.S. airmen lasted nearly two days straight.

“For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, describing the call that was held in a secure facility. “Our mission was unblinking.”

Hegseth continued, “the meeting never stopped. The planning never ceased.”

23:23 IST

“Tomorrow, even more than today” — Hegseth signals intensified strikes

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday is expected to see the largest wave of strikes yet since the U.S. campaign in Iran began.

"Tomorrow, even more than today. And Iran has a choice. Choose wisely because this president does not play around."

23:21 IST

“We confused the Iranians” — CIA Director Ratcliffe details covert rescue effort

CIA Director John Ratcliffe told reporters the agency executed "a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airmen."

"We achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America's best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to the enemy, but not to the CIA," Ratcliffe said.

23:18 IST

“Scaled cliffs while bleeding” — Trump recounts dramatic survival of airman

“Despite the peril, the officer followed his training … climbing toward a higher altitude,” Trump said.

He revealed that the officer scaled cliffs while “bleeding rather profusely” and treated his own wounds before managing to contact US forces.

The airman used a “very sophisticated beeper-type apparatus” to transmit his location, which Trump said “saved his life.”

23:17 IST

“Teeming with terrorists” — Trump on stranded US airman in Iran

According to Trump, the injured officer — a colonel — landed far from the first rescued pilot and was left isolated in a highly dangerous environment.

“He was injured quite badly and stranded in an area teeming with terrorists from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps … as well as besieged military, militia and local authorities,” Trump said.

23:14 IST

Trump says US rescue mission for second airman involved 155 aircraft

Trump details масштаб of US rescue mission for second airman

Operation involved 155 aircraft in total

Included 4 bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft

Mission designed to recover crew member from downed aircraft in hostile territory

Significant use of deception tactics to mislead Iranian forces

“A lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump says

US aimed to create false locations to divert Iranian search efforts

23:10 IST

Trump threatens media with jail over Iran rescue leak

Trump says he will seek identity of leak source from media organization

"They put this mission at great risk. They put that man at great risk," Trump said.

"We're going to go to the media company that released it, and we're going to say 'national security, give it up or go to jail' ... When they did that, all of a sudden the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life."

23:08 IST

Trump says Iran offered reward for capture of second airman after info leak

Trump claimed that once the information surfaced, Iran issued a public alert offering a reward for the capture of the remaining pilot.

“The country Iran put out a major notice … offering a very big award for anybody that captures the pilot,” he said.

“We had millions of people trying to get an award … in addition to a hostile, very talented, very good, very evil military.”

23:07 IST

Trump claims leak exposed second airman

Donald Trump said a leak of sensitive information during a US military rescue mission in Iran made the operation significantly more dangerous.

According to Trump, details about the rescue of the first service member were made public before a second missing airman had been secured.

“All of a sudden, they know that there's somebody out there,” he said, referring to Iranian forces. “It became a much more difficult operation because a leaker leaked that we have one, we've rescued one, but there's another one out there that we're trying to get.”

23:02 IST

“Do whatever was necessary”: Trump on daring US rescue operation

"I ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home. A risky decision, because we could have ended up with 100 dead, as opposed to one or two," Trump told reporters.

"It's a hard decision to make, but in the United States military, we leave no American behind. We don't do it."

22:59 IST

Trump details dramatic rescue of downed US airman

Donald Trump says downed weapons officer followed protocol after crash

- He says the officer moved away from crash site to avoid detection in hostile territory

“You want to be as far away as you can,” Trump says of survival strategy

Airman was “bleeding profusely” but managed to navigate mountainous terrain, Trump says.

Trump says the airman successfully contacted US forces to share his location

US used deception tactics to mislead Iranian forces during the mission, Trump said.

22:48 IST

Trump reiterates 8pm Tuesday deadline for Iran

"We're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing, combat searches, I guess you would call it a search-and-rescue mission, ever attempted by the military," Trump said.

He also said: "The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night."