When is Trump's deadline for his Iran ultimatum and what does it mean?

President Donald Trump issued a hard deadline over the weekend for an all-out attack on Iran, telling the regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or it will face targeted strikes on critical domestic infrastructure.

As the clock ticks down on his deadline on Tuesday, April 7, the president has doubled down on his threats to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges.

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote in an April 7 social media post.

Here's what to know about the president's Iran ultimatum.

What is Trump's ultimatum?

Trump took to social media on Easter Sunday, April 5, to issue an expletive-laden threat against Iran, telling the nation's government to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, or suffer the consequences.

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!" Trump wrote in the April 5 post on Truth Social. "Open the F------ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" The president signed off his message, "Praise be to Allah."

Is this Trump's first ultimatum to Iran?

The president had made similar threats before, starting on March 21, when he gave Iran 48 hours to reopen the critical oil trading route or he would bomb power plants.

Two days later, on March 23, he extended the deadline by five days, citing ongoing negotiations with Iran. Trump declined to say who his administration was speaking with, describing the Iranian official only as a “top person" who is not Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iranian officials, including Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, firmly denied any ongoing talks.

On March 26, the president again delayed the timeline. In a social media post, Trump said "talks are ongoing" with Iran, despite reports to the contrary, and "they are going very well."

"As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time," Trump said in the post.

Trump continued to issue threats to bomb Iranian infrastructure in the days that followed that post. On April 4, Trump said "time is running out" for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, writing on social media: "48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them."

Then on April 5, Trump issued his new deadline, calling Tuesday, April 7, "Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day," unless the strait is reopened.

When is the ultimatum's deadline?

Trump gave Tehran a deadline of 8 p.m. ET on April 7 to open the Strait of Hormuz.

What would have to happen to halt the US military response? 

Trump has said Iran needs to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Prior to its closure, the strait carried roughly 20% of the world’s oil shipments and about 20% of the world’s seaborne liquefied natural gas.

It has been effectively closed since early March, immediately disrupting the world's oil market and leading to a sharp rise in energy prices. Iran pledged to set ships that tried to pass the strait "ablaze," and has attacked dozens of tankers and other vessels since the war began on Feb. 28.

How has Iran responded to Trump's ultimatum?

A day before the deadline, on April 6, Iran rejected a Pakistan-backed ceasefire proposal to end the war and issued a 10-point response, Iranian state media reported. Trump described the counterproposal as "very significant" but said it was "not good enough."

Hours before the deadline, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on social media that "more than 14 million proud Iranians have so far registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran."

"I too have been, am, and will remain devoted to giving my life for Iran," he wrote.

What is the latest on the ultimatum?

An 8 a.m. ET press briefing on the Iran war operations has reportedly been scrapped, according to Reuters and NewsNation.

The briefing was expected at the Pentagon, 12 hours ahead of Trump’s deadline for strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were expected to lead the briefing.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment about why officials scrapped the briefing.

USA TODAY is tracking developments throughout the day. Here's where you can follow along.

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at[email protected] and on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.