US President Donald Trump has issued a stark ultimatum to Iran, warning that the country’s “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Tehran fails to meet his demands.
Over the weekend, Trump set a Tuesday 8 p.m. ET (1 a.m. WAT) deadline for Iran to act, demanding that the nation fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping or face “hell.”
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, hours before the deadline.
Trump framed his ultimatum as a historic turning point, claiming that “now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalised minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end.”
The threat quickly escalated to military action. On Monday, Trump warned of attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges if the country failed to comply. Since then, multiple strikes have targeted bridges and railway lines, with at least two killed and three injured in Kashan, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also issued a warning, advising Iranians to avoid trains and railways for 12 hours. Meanwhile, the US reportedly struck Kharg Island, a strategic hub from which nearly all of Iran’s oil is exported.
Despite mounting pressure, Iran has rejected calls for a ceasefire, emphasizing the need for a permanent resolution to the ongoing conflict.
