The White House press office confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a major news conference in the Oval Office on Monday at 1:00 P.M. The event will be held alongside military personnel. This announcement was accompanied by a reference to the rescue of a downed American aviator, although the agenda for the event has not yet been confirmed. Despite the drama of the military rescue operation over the weekend, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the conflict, as it connects the Persian Gulf with energy markets in Europe and Asia. For this reason, the new 'zero hour' is not just a clock reference, but a decision that could set the course for the conflict in one of the most turbulent regions on the planet: the Middle East. This Monday marks the 10-day deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or announce its surrender in the conflict with the United States and Israel. However, on Sunday, the head of state issued a new ultimatum. Just hours before the deadline, President Trump moved the clock again. After a series of extensions and contradictory messages, he set a new date and time: Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time, which is 7:00 P.M. in Austin, Texas, and 3:30 A.M. Wednesday in Tehran. This came after the leader posted incendiary messages on Truth Social on Sunday, threatening to make Tuesday the 'Day of Power Plants and the Day of Bridges' in Iran if Tehran does not concede on Hormuz. Hours later, the president himself set the new, much shorter deadline in another post: 'Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time!' This new key date replaces the previous deadline, which was set for Monday evening, April 6th, and once again modifies the military threat that Trump has already altered several times since March. Trump's Timelines. The changing tone and chronology of changes by the American leader have already become part of the news. Here are the different deadlines and the main message Trump issued with each, along with the known Iranian responses to date: March 21: First 48-hour ultimatum. Trump announced that if Iran did not reopen Hormuz within 48 hours, the U.S. would 'attack and wipe out' Iranian power plants. The next day, according to Europa Press, Iran stated the strait was open except to 'enemies.' March 23: First postponement. Before the initial deadline expired, Trump claimed there had been 'productive conversations' in the two previous days and would therefore postpone the attacks for five days. Tehran still did not reopen the strait on Washington's terms. March 26: Second postponement. Trump added another 10 days, claiming Iran had asked for more time; this extension pushed the deadline to April 6. Nevertheless, the conflict remained open, and missile attacks on Israeli territory even intensified. April 1: The 'ceasefire' version. Despite presenting no evidence or concrete data to support his claims, Trump stated that Tehran had asked Washington for a ceasefire and that he would consider it once Iran reopened Hormuz. However, a spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied this version, and the nation even threatened to intensify its defense. April 3 and 4: Final pressure. In the countdown to the deadline, on April 3rd Trump said the U.S. could 'easily' reopen Hormuz 'if we had a little more time,' and then on April 4th he hardened the threat, warning that 'time is running out,' referring to the final '48 hours for hell to rain down on them.' And despite that, Iran maintained its defiant posture and continued to condition any reopening on its terms. April 5: Third major postponement. On Sunday, Trump issued his most aggressive statement yet: he promised a supposed 'Day of Power Plants and the Day of Bridges' and added insults directed at Iran to demand the reopening of Hormuz. Afterwards, he specified the new deadline in his social media post, setting the fatal hour for Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. In response, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that attacking power plants would be a war crime; while spokesperson Esmail Ghaani asserted that attacking the energy sector endangers the entire population, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded that the entire region could be set ablaze if Trump went down that path. Furthermore, from within Iran's presidential circle, it was reiterated that Hormuz could only be reopened once damages were compensated, and state TV IRIB broadcast a message attributed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, defending that the strait 'must remain closed.' Is the press conference still on? Prior to President Trump setting the new ultimatum, the White House announced on social media an 'important' press conference for Monday at 1:00 P.M. in Washington in the Oval Office, alongside military personnel. President Donald J. Trump to hold a major news conference alongside our Military in the Oval Office, Monday at 1:00 P.M. God Bless our great MILITARY WARRIORS!
