President Donald Trump issued a stark warning on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” as a critical deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz looms. This comes after U.S. military strikes on dozens of Iranian targets on Kharg Island overnight, marking a significant escalation in ongoing tensions between the two countries.
A U.S. official told NBC News that the mission on Kharg Island involved airstrikes along the northern side of the island, with no U.S. troops on the ground. The targets included military bunkers, storage facilities, air defense systems, and other military installations. The official stressed that these were all military targets, not oil infrastructure, and many were sites the U.S. had struck before.
Trump had previously stated on March 13 that the U.S. “totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island.” Kharg Island is a key oil export hub for Iran and has been discussed as a possible location for a U.S. ground operation in the past.
Trump’s escalating warnings signal a potential turning point in the Iran conflict
Trump called this moment “one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world” and predicted that “47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end.” Over the past six weeks, he has shifted his initial March 23 deadline multiple times. Reports indicate that the U.S. is deploying 4,500 Marines toward Iran’s main oil island, though Iran’s IRGC has warned they have naval surprises ready.
His warnings grew stronger over the weekend on Truth Social. On Saturday, Trump posted, “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.”
By Sunday, he pushed the deadline back again, writing, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” later setting 8 PM Tuesday as the final deadline.
According to Komo News, Trump doubled down at a recent White House press conference, stating, “The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” and adding, “We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night.”
When asked whether he was trying to wind down the conflict or escalate it, Trump replied, “I don’t know. It depends what they do.” He said he extended the deadline by a day rather than letting it expire right after Easter because he “thought it was inappropriate the day after Easter,” and added that he believes Iran is negotiating “in good faith.”
Iran is not backing down. The Iranian Foreign Ministry officially rejected the U.S.’s proposed 15-point peace plan on Monday, calling it “unrealistic,” and stated, “Iran firmly refuses any negotiations conducted under the shadow of illegal sanctions, military threats, or coercion,” adding that diplomacy requires “mutual respect, not pressure.” Senator Lindsey Graham had earlier compared a Kharg Island invasion to the battle of Iwo Jima on live TV, though fellow Republicans were quick to push back on the comparison.
In response to Trump’s threats of striking power plants, Iranian officials called on citizens to form human chains around these facilities. Alireza Rahimi, identified by Iranian state television as secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, said in a video statement that these are “Power plants that are our national assets and capital.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian also posted on social media that 14 million Iranians had volunteered to fight, writing, “I too have been, am, and will remain ready to give my life for Iran.” A 45-day ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators from Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey was rejected by both sides on Monday.
Trump acknowledged it as a “significant step” but said it fell short. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called the terms “excessive” and criticized any negotiations held under the threat of U.S. actions.
When asked whether striking power plants and bridges would be war crimes, Trump dismissed the concern, saying, “No, not at all,” and claiming that most Iranians want the U.S. to “keep bombing” and are “willing to suffer” to gain freedom.
Published: Apr 7, 2026 09:45 am