Shafaq News- Tehran

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said more than 14 million citizens have volunteered to defend the country, as the United States moves to deploy additional forces to the Middle East.

On X, Pezeshkian affirmed that he shares the same commitment to defending Iran.

Separately, Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, disclosed the deployment of a US military unit specializing in missile operations to the region.

The developments come as US President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to agree to a ceasefire or reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 20 hours, setting a new cutoff at 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday (12:00 a.m. GMT the following day) after an earlier 10-day ultimatum. He warned that critical civilian infrastructure could be targeted if no agreement is reached, while Iran has threatened retaliatory action against Israel and US-linked facilities across Gulf states.

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