U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Iran on the 7th (local time), just hours before his self-imposed negotiation deadline, declaring "tonight an entire civilization will be destroyed" and "47 years of exploitation, corruption and death will finally come to an end."
A day earlier, Trump had warned that "if Iran does not reach an agreement by 8 p.m. tomorrow, every bridge in Iran will be completely destroyed by midnight, and every power plant in Iran will stop operating, burn, explode and never be used again." The deadline Trump set corresponds to 9 a.m. on the 8th Korea Standard Time.
Iran hit back through state-run IRNA news agency, calling Trump's remarks "rude and arrogant rhetoric from a delusional American president." Instead of a 45-day ceasefire proposal presented by a mediating country, Iran put forward a counter-proposal for a "permanent end to hostilities" contingent on 10 conditions, including transit fees for the Strait of Hormuz.