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President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” as a U.S. deadline for Iran to agree to a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz approached, marking his most extreme rhetoric yet in the escalating conflict.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
The remarks came less than 12 hours before a self-imposed 8 p.m. Eastern deadline, after which Trump has said the United States could launch strikes on Iranian infrastructure if Tehran does not comply with demands to reopen the critical shipping route.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply passes, has become a central flashpoint in the standoff between Washington and Tehran.
Trump suggested that recent developments inside Iran — including reported killings of top leadership figures such as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — could lead to sweeping political change, though the full impact on Iran’s government remains unclear.
“Now that we have complete and total regime change … maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen,” Trump wrote. “We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world.”
In recent days, Trump has issued a series of increasingly aggressive threats, including warnings that the U.S. could target Iran’s power plants, bridges and other key infrastructure. During a Monday news conference, he said the United States had a plan under which “every bridge in Iran will be decimated” and power facilities would be destroyed.
Appearing on Fox News, anchor Bret Baier said Trump indicated the 8 p.m. deadline would likely hold unless last-minute diplomatic progress is made.
White House officials declined to clarify the president’s latest remarks. Spokesperson Anna Kelly said only, “refer to the TRUTH,” when asked whether Trump’s reference to a “whole civilization” implied potential attacks on civilian areas.
International law experts and human rights advocates warned that targeting civilian infrastructure — or threatening widespread harm to a population — could constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law.
Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, said Trump’s statements appeared to endorse collective punishment.
“Attacking civilians is a war crime. So is making threats with the aim of terrorizing the civilian population,” Roth said, noting that such actions could violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The president’s comments also drew swift political backlash in Washington. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump’s post “completely unstable,” while other Democrats, including Ed Markey and Rashida Tlaib, raised the possibility of impeachment or removal from office.
Criticism also emerged from within Trump’s broader political orbit. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for invoking the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlines procedures for removing a president deemed unable to perform the duties of the office.
Iran has warned it would retaliate against U.S. military and infrastructure targets in the Middle East if attacked, raising fears that the confrontation could rapidly expand into a broader regional conflict with global economic consequences.
It remains unclear whether diplomatic efforts will yield a last-minute agreement or whether the United States will proceed with military action following the deadline.
