DEADLINE 8 P.M. EST, 4:30 A.M. TEHRAN: For more than two weeks now, President Donald Trump has threatened to rain death and destruction on Iran, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Insisting he’s in talks with unidentified “reasonable people” in Iran, Trump has extended his deadline twice. He says he won’t do it a third time. “Why did I move it? To take a chance. It’s not going to be moved again.” “The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow [Tuesday] night,” Trump said at an afternoon news conference. “We have a plan because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again. I mean, complete demolition by 12 o’clock. And it’ll happen over a period of four hours.” “Very little is off limits,” Trump threatened. “Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? No. It will take them 100 years to rebuild. Right now, if we left today, it would take them 20 years to rebuild their country, and it would never be as good as it was.” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said that yesterday’s U.S. strikes against Iran would be “the largest volume of strikes since day one,” that today’s would be “even more.” “And then Iran has a choice. Choose wisely, because this President does not play around. You can ask Soleimani. You can ask Maduro. You can ask Khamenei,” Hegseth said. TRUMP WARNS IRAN OF ‘COMPLETE DEMOLITION’ AHEAD OF TUESDAY DEADLINE IRAN’S RESPONSE ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’: Iran continues to reject Trump’s ultimatums and yesterday released a 10-point plan of its own that would leave Iran in charge of the Strait of Hormuz, and allow it to collect tolls to use for reconstruction of its infrastructure. It also called for a permanent end to the war, guarantees that Iran would not be attacked again, and the lifting of all sanctions. “They’ve made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal…it’s not good enough, but it’s a significant step,” Trump said in a video posted to the White House’s Rapid Response account on X. Asked later whether he would be willing to end this conflict with Iran by charging tolls for passage through the Strait, Trump suggested the U.S. should be the one collecting them. “Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner. We won, OK? They are militarily defeated.” “We have to have a deal that’s acceptable to me, and part of that deal is going to be, we want free traffic of oil and everything else,” he said. Trump also continues to pine for an arrangement such as the one he has in Venezuela. “If I had my choice, what would I like to do? Take the oil, because it’s there for the taking. There’s not a thing they can do about it.” “Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it was up to me. I’d take the oil, I’d keep the oil, and would make plenty of money,” he said. “To the victor go the spoils,” Trump said. “We don’t have that. We haven’t had that in this country probably in a hundred years.” IRAN REJECTS CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL AHEAD OF TRUMP’S STRAIT OF HORMUZ DEADLINE IRAN CALLING FOR HUMAN CHAINS: With the deadline hours away, Iran is calling for “nationwide human chains of youth, athletes, and artists” to encircle power plants in the country, in an attempt to deter U.S. strikes. The campaign, dubbed “Human Chain of Iranian Youth for a Bright Future,” aims to send a message that “attacking public infrastructure is a war crime.” “Power plants that are our national assets and capital, regardless of any taste or political viewpoint, belong to the future of Iran and to the Iranian youth,” Alireza Rahimi, identified by Iranian state television as the secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, said as he issued the video call in a newscast. “Over 14 million proud Iranians have, up to this moment, declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in defense of Iran. I too have been, am, and will be a sacrificer for Iran,” President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X. “The president doesn’t know how to end his catastrophic war, so he’s resorting to increasingly deranged threats to ‘obliterate’ a country of 90 million people,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) posted on X. “My Republican colleagues need to come back to DC and vote for a War Powers Resolution to stop this madness.” “I was taught targeting to some degree while I was in the Air Force. It’s hard to hit bridges or power plants that directly enable the military or the senior leadership,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a retired Air Force one-star general, said on CNN. “But if you could hit the appropriate power plants or bridges that would affect military movement or decision-making by the government of Iran, that’s a different story.” “I think the president, more than anything, though, is posturing to tell Iran, come to the table and let’s settle this peacefully from here on out. So, I think this is a negotiation tactic more than anything,” Bacon said. “The optimal solution here is to get a government that’s friendly towards the United States and its neighbors, and that doesn’t want nuclear weapons. That is the ultimate goal.” Asked by a reporter how it would not be a war crime to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants,” Trump replied. “Because they killed 45,000 people in the last month, more than that. It could be as much as 60,000. They killed protesters, they’re animals. And we have to stop them, and we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon. Very simple.” OPINION: IRAN WILL NOT ABIDE TRUMP’S TUESDAY DEADLINE Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE NOT HAPPENING TODAY: PENTAGON BRIEFING CANCELLED: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine were scheduled to take a reporter’s question in the Pentagon briefing room at 8 a.m., but in an email to reporters last night, the Pentagon simply said, “Tomorrow’s press briefing has been cancelled.” No reason was given. Caine had promised reporters yesterday a “more detailed briefing” this morning, but warned there are many things he needs to keep secret. “We will share what we can, but I will retain what I must in the event that we have to go do this again sometime,” Caine said. “And I cannot stress the importance, as the President said, around operational security.” LINGERING QUESTIONS FROM THE F-15 CRASH AND DRAMATIC RESCUE OPERATION SEARCH FOR THE LEAKER: Trump and Hegseth were irate that news that the first F-15 pilot had been rescued on Friday was widely reported, saying the premature release of the good news jeopardized the search for the second pilot, who was still fighting to avoid capture as Iranian forces were closing in. “It made it much more difficult for the pilots and for the people going in to search for him,” Trump said. “All of a sudden, they know that there’s somebody out there. They see all of these planes coming in.” At the same time, Iran offered a bounty to anyone who delivered the pilot alive to the Iranian government. “So in addition to a hostile, very talented, very good, very evil military, we had millions of people trying to get an award,” Trump said, calling the leaker “a sick person,” who “probably didn’t realize the extent of how bad it was.” Trump threatened to jail the reporter who was first to report the initial rescue if they did not reveal the name of their source. “We’re going to find out. It’s national security and the person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say.” “They put this mission at great risk. They put that man at great risk. And they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him, because everyone now knows that we’re going in,” Trump said. THE EXTRAORDINARY SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION IN IRAN: ‘HUNTING FOR A SINGLE GRAIN OF SAND’ TRUMP: WE BLEW UP OLD PLANES: The U.S. lost a total of almost a dozen aircraft in the complex operation to rescue the second pilot, including two MC-130J, the Special Operations version of the classic C-130 cargo planes, as well as three MH-6 Little Bird helicopters. “So these were large planes that were old, pretty old, and we blew them up,” Trump said of the C-130s. “We blew up the old planes, and we blew them up to smithereens because we had equipment on the planes that, frankly, we’d like to take, but I don’t think it was worthwhile spending another four hours there taking it off.” “It was sandy, wet sand. So we thought there may be a problem taking off because of the weight of the plane,” Trump said. “And we had a contingency plan which was unbelievable, where lighter, faster aircraft came in, and they took them out.” Also left behind were the three Little Bird helicopters, which Trump said “which were very strongly used,” and “performed unbelievably well.” All were destroyed from the air after the U.S. forces were safely out. “People are more important than hardware. That is the standard we live by,” said Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. “The rescue forces that executed these missions operate under — under a clear motto: These things we do that others may live.” OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS ON OUR SIDE: Trump told reporters that he not only has the backing of the American people for his devastating attack on Iran but also the support of the Lord Almighty. “Do you believe that God supports the United States’ actions in this war?” a reporter asked yesterday. “I do, because God is good,” Trump replied. “God wants to see people taken care of. God doesn’t like what’s happening. I don’t like what’s happening. Everyone says, I enjoy — I don’t enjoy this.” In recounting the rescue of the second pilot, both Trump and Hegseth credited divine intervention as well as the prowess of the U.S. military. “God was watching us, I tell you. Well, it was Easter — we were in Easter territory, I guess. But God was watching us.” Hegseth compared the rescue to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “You see, shot down on a Friday, Good Friday, hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and rescued on Sunday. Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing, God is good.” TRUMP AND HEGSETH LEAN HARD ON RELIGION IN POST-EASTER IRAN PRESS CONFERENCE: ‘GOD IS GOOD’ THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Trump warns Iran of ‘complete demolition’ ahead of Tuesday deadline Washington Examiner: Iran rejects ceasefire proposal ahead of Trump’s Strait of Hormuz deadline Washington Examiner: Trump mum on details of negotiations with Iran Washington Examiner: Trump threatens jail time over downed US fighter jet ‘leak’ Washington Examiner: The extraordinary search and rescue mission in Iran: ‘Hunting for a single grain of sand’ Washington Examiner: Lingering questions from the F-15 crash and dramatic rescue operation Washington Examiner: Trump and Hegseth lean hard on religion in post-Easter Iran press conference: ‘God is good’ Washington Examiner: Opinion: Iran will not abide Trump’s Tuesday deadline Washington Examiner: Orban accuses Ukraine of terrorist plot against pipeline amid uphill election battle Washington Examiner: Israeli justice minister says government should ignore high court ruling on wartime protests Washington Examiner: Heroic rescue reminds world American exceptionalism is alive Washington Examiner: How US and Pakistan’s relationship could help end wars with Iran and Afghanistan Air & Space Forces Magazine: The Rescue of DUDE 44: Inside the Massive Operation to Save Two Downed Airmen In Iran The War Zone: How A Dusty Strip Deep in Iran Can Be Turned into a US Special Operations Base in Hours Wall Street Journal: Ukraine’s Lesson for Trump: Military Dominance Opens Waterways Federal News Network: White House Seeks $17.5 Billion for Golden Dome, but Most Funding Hinges on Reconciliation Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Poised for 80 Percent Funding Boost in 2027 Budget Breaking Defense: DIU Wants ‘Moving Map’ to Help Aircrews with Situational Awareness Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Wants Nearly $1 Billion to Start Buying CCAs in 2027 Air & Space Forces Magazine: General Atomics CCA Crashes in California, Test Flights Paused Defense One: Budget Would Cut Pentagon Research by One-Third. Can Industry Compensate? AP: US soldier trying to halt wife’s deportation after she was detained on Louisiana military base AP: Former Australian soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders in Afghanistan Air & Space Forces Magazine: KC-135 Crews Receive Distinguished Flying Crosses for Combat Missions THE CALENDAR: TUESDAY | APRIL 7 9 a.m. 515 15th St. NW — Government Executive Media Group Federal Cybersecurity Executive Summit: Mark Canter, chief information security officer at the Government Accountability Office; and Col. Juliet Calvin, commanding officer, Marine Corps Cyberspace Operations Group https://events.govexec.com/optiv-clearshark-the-federal-cybersecurity-executive-summit/ 10 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Crude Diplomacy: Oil and the Iran War,” with Helima Croft, managing director and head of global commodity strategy and MENA research at RBC Capital Markets; and Aaron David Miller, CEIP senior fellow https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/03/crude-diplomacy-oil-and-the-iran-war 10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “U.S.-Turkish Defense Relations and the Upcoming NATO Summit,” with Can Kasapoglu, nonresident senior fellow, Hudson Institute; Yavuz Turkgenci, Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies board member; Defne Arslan, senior director, Atlantic Council’s Turkey Program; Balbona Zeneli, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative; and Rich Outzen, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Turkey Program https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/us-turkish-defense-relations WEDNESDAY | APRIL 8 11 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “North Macedonia’s Transatlantic Priorities,” with North Macedonia Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timco Mucunski https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/foreign-minister-timco-mucunski THURSDAY | APRIL 9 10:30 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion on a new report: “Rebuilding America’s Air Force: Balancing the Air Force’s Combat Force for Peer Conflict,” with Lt. Gen. Jason Armagost, deputy commander, Air Force Global Strike Command; Mark Gunzinger, director of future concepts and capability assessments, Mitchell Institute; and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/ 4 p.m. 2121 K St. NW — International Institute for Strategic Studies discussion: “What’s Next for Cuba?” with Daniel Erikson, senior adviser at Covington & Burling; Ricardo Herrero, executive director, Cuban Study Group; and Michael Carpenter, IISS senior fellow https://www.iiss.org/events/2026/04/whats-next-for-cuba 5 p.m. 1521 16th St. NW — Institute of World Politics discussion: “The Realities of Iran,” with William Murray, former senior CIA operations officer https://www.iwp.edu/events/the-realities-of-iran FRIDAY | APRIL 10 10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “The Hypersonic Imperative: Restoring U.S. Advantage in a Contested Battlespace,” with Michael White, former principal director for hypersonics at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/the-hypersonic-imperative-restoring-u-s-advantage 11 a.m. 1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute discussion: “Iran, Hizballah, and Lebanon’s Future,” with Kenneth Pollack, MEI vice president for policy; Matthew Levitt, senior fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and Aram Nerguizian, senior associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/11:30 a.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual forum, “In the Dark and in Danger: Iran’s Internet Shutdown and Wartime Repression,” with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of technology threats and opportunities at WITNESS; Nazanin Boniadi, human rights advocate, actress, and producer; and Roya Boroumand, co-founder and executive director, Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran https://washingtoninstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/
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| “They always knew that we would be coming to get them. These two operations reflect our nation's most sacred obligation to our military servicemembers: We leave no one behind … It also perfectly captures the first truth of our Special Operations forces: that people are more important than hardware.” |
| Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, on the daring rescue of two downed pilots deep in Iranian territory |
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