As the countdown continues to the ultimatum issued by Donald Trump for Iran to come to the negotiating table, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iranians are ready to sacrifice their lives to defend the country. He made the remarks in a post on X, stating that he, too, stands ready to be sacrificed for the nation.
“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,โ Pezeshkian wrote.
Earlier, Iranโs Deputy Sports Minister Alireza Rahimi called on the countryโs athletes and artists to form โhuman chainsโ around power plants, describing it as both a symbolic and physical effort to deter potential air strikes following a series of ultimatums from Trump.
In a video message, he invited youth, athletes, artists, students, and faculty members to gather near power plants at 2 pm local time on Tuesday, saying, โThese are our wealth and belongings.โ
Trump’s deadline to Iran
The call for such human shields comes in response to Trumpโs โ8:00 pm deadlineโ (Washington time, Tuesday night) for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping.
Trump has warned that failure to comply would result in a large-scaleย and simultaneous bombing campaign targeting “each and every one”ย of Iranโs power plants and bridges. He said on Monday that the objective would be to leave these facilities โburning, exploding, and never to be used againโ within a 4-hour window.
During a White House press briefing, Trump added, โThe entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.โ
He reiterated the ultimatum, saying Iran must make a deal before Tuesday at 8:00 pm ET, warning that there would be โno bridges, no power plantsโ after that deadline.
Trump also described the current situation as a critical period, stating that Washington has already given Tehran sufficient time to reach an agreement and bring the war to an end.
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