DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 7 – U.S. President Donald Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” as Iran refused to comply with his demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.
Trump set a deadline for Iran to end its blockade of Gulf oil by 8 p.m. in Washington (3:30 a.m. in Tehran) or face U.S. destruction of its bridges and power plants. In response, Iran threatened to retaliate against U.S. allies in the Gulf, stating that their cities would become unlivable without power or water.
As the deadline approached, U.S. strikes on Iran increased, targeting railway and road bridges, an airport, and a petrochemical plant. U.S. forces targeted Kharg Island, which hosts Iran's main oil export terminal.
Iran declared that it would strike back against the infrastructure of its Gulf neighbors and reported new attacks on a ship in the Gulf and a large Saudi petrochemical facility.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump tweeted on Truth Social, addressing a nation known for its historical significance.
“However, with Complete and Total Regime Change, where smarter and less radical minds prevail, maybe something extraordinary can happen. We will find out tonight, a crucial moment in history,” he added.
Brian Finucane, a former U.S. State Department legal advisor, remarked that Trump's statements “could be seen as a threat to commit genocide” under U.S. and international law.
The U.S. State Department advised Americans in Bahrain to stay safe indoors, while Iran’s Borna news agency reported that air defenses were activated over Tehran, with fighter jets flying low over the city.
With hours left before the deadline, an Iranian source stated that Tehran was still unwilling to reopen the strait without U.S. concessions that had yet to be offered.
Pakistan, acting as a mediator, continued to send messages, but Washington had not changed its position. The source indicated that if the U.S. executed Trump's threat against Iran’s power grid, it would plunge Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, into darkness, a warning relayed to Washington through Qatar.
Previously, another Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran had rejected a proposal for a temporary ceasefire communicated through intermediaries.
Discussions for a lasting peace could only begin after the U.S. and Israel stopped bombing, guaranteed they wouldn't resume, and provided compensation for damages. Additionally, Iran insisted on keeping control of the strait and imposing transit fees.
There were conflicting reports on whether negotiations were ongoing. While some sources indicated that talks had broken down, others reported that communication was still happening, with an Iranian official stating that messages were being exchanged through Pakistan until late afternoon Tehran time.