US President Donald Trump has set deadlines, made demands and issued threats over the course of the five-week joint US-Israeli war against Iran. But seldom have they been this explicit.
The new round of strikes against Iran will be devastating. They will begin at 20:00 Washington DC time on Tuesday (00:00 GMT on Wednesday). Within four hours, every bridge and power plant in the nation will be decimated.
Very little is off-limits, Trump said on Monday.
To avoid this fate, according to the president, Iran has to make a deal that's acceptable to me. A component of the agreement should include free traffic of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
As the final hours tick down, there has been little indication that Iran is ready to agree to Trump's ultimatum. They've rejected a temporary ceasefire and issued their own list of demands, which a US official described as maximalist.
This places the US president in a delicate position. If there is no agreement, Trump could extend his deadline – for the fourth time in the past three weeks.
But backing away after such detailed threats, punctuated with expletives and dire warnings, could undercut his credibility as the war grinds on.
It's possible Iran, and the rest of the world, could conclude that despite America's military might and tactical skill, it is not negotiating from a clear position of strength.
Trump insisted during a news conference on Monday afternoon. We won. They are militarily defeated. The only thing they have is the psychology of: 'Oh, we're going to drop a couple of mines in the water'.
Even if that tragedy had been averted, the triumphant rescue underlined the risk US forces still face in Iran. And the president may be learning that US military power has its limits.
Ultimately, as Trump reflects on the potential repercussions and considers the humanitarian crisis that could arise from a bombing campaign against Iran, he appears caught between a hardline approach and the reality of the situation on the ground.
Even in this late hour, however, Trump continues to hold out hope of a breakthrough, stating, We have an active, willing participant on the other side. Yet, with both Iran's rejection of the ultimatum and Trump's threats looming, the future remains unclear.
