Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday (April 6) that Tehran will not hesitate to defend the country despite a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war.

Trump has threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran if it did not make a deal by the end of Tuesday (April 7) that would allow traffic to start moving again through the vital route for global energy supplies.

Baghaei said their demand in the talks is an "end of the imposed war, together with assurance that this ominous cycle will not be repeated."

Baghaei also said the rescue operation by U.S. forces to save an airman behind enemy lines after Iran downed his fighter jet, was "a disastrous embarrassment for America, and we hope they have learned their lesson, that when Iran’s integrity comes under attack, all Iranians stand united".

U.S. forces staged the audacious rescue of an airman behind enemy lines after Iran downed his fighter jet, officials said on Sunday, resolving a crisis for President Donald Trump as he ‌weighs escalating the war, now in its sixth week.

The airman rescued by special operations forces, who Trump said was a colonel, was the weapons-systems officer on the downed F-15, a U.S. official told Reuters.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: TEHRAN, IRAN (APRIL 6, 2026) (WANA - No use VOA Persian. No use BBC Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International, No Use Radio Farda)

1. IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE

2. CAMERAMEN FILMING, JOURNALISTS SEATED, NEWS CONFERENCE SEEN THROUGH SCREEN IN THE BACKGROUND

3. BAGHAEI AT PODIUM, JOURNALISTS SEATED

4. NEWS CONFERENCE SEEN THROUGH CAMERA SCREEN

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

"A deadline should not cause us to give ourselves even the slightest hesitation in defending our country.”

6. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

"Our demand is the end of the imposed war, together with assurance that this ominous cycle will not be repeated. You may ask what the guarantee is. The guarantee is that the enemy becomes regretful in such a way for its actions that it no longer has the audacity or courage to attack Iran’s integrity again."

8. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

"When it comes to defending the country against criminal aggressors, restraint has no meaning at all. Therefore, it is natural that in defending the country, the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all its capacities and capabilities, both inside the country and at the regional level, to make the enemy regret its actions."

10. CAMERAMEN FILMING, JOURNALISTS SEATED, NEWS CONFERENCE SEEN THROUGH SCREEN IN THE BACKGROUND

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

"This operation was a disastrous embarrassment for America, and we hope they have learned their lesson, that when Iran’s integrity comes under attack, all Iranians stand united. In this regard, the brave nomadic communities and our fellow Lur compatriots played a significant role. Therefore, this should be taken as a positive sign of Iran’s seriousness in defending its national sovereignty and dignity under any circumstances."

12. CAMERAMEN FILMING, NEWS CONFERENCE SEEN THROUGH SCREEN

13. BAGHAEI AT LECTERN, JOURNALISTS SEATED

14. BAGHAEI LEAVING LECTERN