US President Donald Trump has issued a warning to Iran, saying on social media that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” unless Iran reaches a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz
In the post, Trump wrote: “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized 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. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
The warning comes as the president had already threatened to take out Iran “in one night” if it failed to meet his deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route. Trump set the deadline for 20:00 Washington DC time on Tuesday (00:00 GMT Wednesday) for what he described as an “acceptable” deal ensuring the free flow of energy through the Gulf.
Speaking earlier at the White House alongside General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump highlighted the recent successful rescue of two crew members from a downed F-15 fighter jet in southern Iran. While emphasizing the “heroic” operation, he repeated that military strikes against Iranian energy and transportation infrastructure could follow if Iran did not comply.
“The entire country can be taken out in one night – and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said. “They’re going to have no bridges. They’re going to have no power plants.”
Despite Iran rejecting proposals for a temporary ceasefire and demanding a permanent resolution along with lifting of sanctions, Trump expressed optimism that Iranian leaders were negotiating in “good faith.”
Communications with Iranian officials remain difficult due to an ongoing blackout, a regional official said, making timely negotiations nearly impossible. “To convey messages to Iran, getting a response in a reasonable time is not possible. The average time of response has been a day or so,” the official said.
Regional powers including Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt have attempted to mediate, but experts caution that meaningful progress is unlikely without a ceasefire first.
Legal experts have warned that deliberate, sustained attacks on Iranian infrastructure could constitute a war crime. “Obliterating all power plants, threatening coercive actions against the civilian population to try to bring a government to the negotiating table, those kinds of things are all flatly illegal,” a former Obama-era National Security Council legal advisor told CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
Trump dismissed such concerns, insisting he was not “worried” and claiming that Iran’s population would be “willing to suffer to have freedom,” even if toppling Iran’s government was not his intention.
He also renewed criticism of key US allies, including the UK, NATO, and South Korea, accusing them of failing to support the United States during the conflict. “That’s a mark on Nato that will never disappear,” he said, adding that the US does not “need” the UK.
American forces have conducted over 13,000 strikes across Iran since the war began, according to an update from the US military’s Central Command on Monday.
Source: BBC
