Washington: US President Donald Trump on Sunday posted a cryptic message on social media reading "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time" without any further explanation, leading to widespread speculation about a potential announcement regarding Iran.

According to Anadolu Agency, the post on Trump's Truth Social platform, indicating 0000GMT on Wednesday, follows his statement to the Axios news outlet that a deal with Tehran might be reached by Tuesday. Trump earlier mentioned to Fox News that there was a "good chance" an agreement could be finalized soon and warned of drastic measures if Iran did not act swiftly, including "blowing everything up" and "taking over the oil."

Trump also sharpened his stance in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, issuing an ultimatum that if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening, the country would face severe consequences, including losing all power plants and facilities. He did not specify the end of hostilities, hinting only at an announcement "pretty soon" and predicting a long reconstruction period for Iran following US-Israeli strikes.

This latest social media post follows Trump's previous statement pausing strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure until Monday evening US time, a decision he attributed to a request from Iran. The new message seems to extend that deadline by an additional day, though no official explanation has been provided. The ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began on February 28, have resulted in over 1,340 casualties, including the death of then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.