14 million Iranians are ready to sacrifice their lives, Iranian president says, as Trump ultimatum nears
KATHMANDU: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that Iranians are ready to sacrifice their lives to defend the country as US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum nears, ANI reported.
Pezeshkian made the remarks in a post on X, saying he, too, stands ready to be sacrificed for the country. “Over 14 million proud Iranians have, up to this moment, declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in defence of Iran. I, too, have been, am, and will be a sacrificer for Iran,” Pezeshkian wrote.
The call for public mobilisation follows a series of ultimatums from Trump, who has demanded Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his 8:00 pm deadline (Washington time) or face strikes on its infrastructure. Trump has warned that failure to comply will result in a simultaneous, massive bombing campaign aimed at “each and every one” of Iran’s electric generating plants and bridges.
Earlier, Iran’s deputy sports minister, Alireza Rahimi, urged the nation’s athletes and artists to form “human chains” around power plants in a symbolic and physical attempt to deter potential air strikes. In a video message, he invited all youth, athletes, artists, students and faculty to gather near power plants on Tuesday at 2:00 pm (local Iran time), saying, “These are our wealth and belongings.”
Trump stated on Monday that the goal would be to leave these facilities “burning, exploding, and never to be used again” within a four-hour window. During a White House press briefing, he said, “The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.”
Trump reiterated his ultimatum, warning Iran to make a deal before Tuesday, 8:00 pm ET and saying there would be “no bridges, no power plants” after that. He described the situation as a “critical period”, adding that Washington had given Tehran extra time to reach an agreement: “They asked for an extension of seven days; I gave them 10 days... They have till tomorrow. Now we will see what happens... We are giving them until tomorrow, 8 o’clock, Eastern Time. After that, they are going to have no bridges. They are going to have no power plants. Stone Age.”
