President Donald Trump has warned the US could wipe out Iran in just hours as the deadline looms on the White House's ultimatum.
Iran said it wanted a lasting end to the war with the US and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to swiftly reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a temporary ceasefire
Speaking at a press conference, President Trump said: "Iran can be taken out in one night, might be tomorrow [Tuesday] night."
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth added that today will be "the largest volume of strikes since day one of the Iran operation."
In the press conference, the President revealed details related to the escape and rescue of one of the crew of the downed F-15 jet.
He said: "He was injured, it was an amazing, amazing thing...he scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds and contacted American forces to transmit his location. We immediately mobilised a massive operation to retrieve him.
"I will never forget the extraordinary risk taken by the warriors that we send into battle.
"I ordered the US armed forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home, a risky decision, because we could have ended up with 100 dead, as opposed to one or two. But in the United States military, we leave no American behind."
President Trump added he would demand that the reporter who first leaked that an airman in Iran had been rescued reveal their source, and threatened them with jail if they refused.
He said: "They put the mission at great risk. They put that man at great risk and they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him.
"We have to find that leaker because that is a sick person; probably didn't realise the extent of how bad it was."
"We are gonna go to the media company that released it and we are going to say 'national security, give it up or go to jail.'"
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Critics have said President Trump would be committing war crimes if the US attacked civilian power plants, a point that was dismissed by the Republican.
He said: "I'm not worried about it. You know what's a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon."
Trump said the five-week conflict could end quickly if Iran does "what they have to do", adding "they have to do certain things. They know that, they've been negotiating I think in good faith."
President Trump, who had extended his initial deadline, gave no indication he would do so again.
Senior White House aides have been negotiating with Iran indirectly through Pakistan, attempting to get a deal in which Iran will forswear nuclear weapons and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the oil transit waterway. Iran said it wanted a permanent end to the war, not just a temporary ceasefire.
President Trump said it appeared the latest team representing the Iranian government is "not as radicalised" as others who have been killed in airstrikes.
He said: "We think they're actually smarter."
President Trump said if it were up to him, the United States would take control of Iran's oil, but he said the American people would probably not understand such a move.
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