Trump says 'entire' Iran could be 'taken out' Tuesday

US President Donald Trump warned Monday that all of Iran could be "taken out" Tuesday at the expiry of a deadline he issued for the Islamic republic to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz waterway.

"The entire country could be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night," Trump told a news conference on Monday.

He said more than 170 US military aircraft were used in the rescue of the crew of a fighter plane downed in Iran.

Trump told reporters at a White House briefing that 21 aircraft were used in the operation to recover the first crew member and another 155 in the second rescue mission. Two transport planes got stuck in sand and had to be blown up, he added.

President Trump also said that the United States attempted to arm Iranian protesters but the weapons were diverted and never passed to the right people.

Trump said the armaments were meant to help anti-government protesters fight back against the authorities.

“We sent guns, a lot of guns, they were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs,” Trump told reporters while at a White House Easter event.

“You know what happened? The people that they sent them to kept them,” Trump went on, adding: “So I’m very upset with a certain group of people, and they’re going to pay a big price for that.”

Trump did not give details about who he was accusing of taking the US weapons.

However, on Sunday, Trump was quoted as saying by a Fox News reporter that he blamed Kurdish intermediaries for having taken weapons destined for Iranian dissidents.