President Trump issued his most ominous warning yet toward Iran on Tuesday, declaring that \u201ca whole civilization will die tonight\u201d ahead of an 8 p.m. EDT deadline tied to escalating U.S. military action in the ongoing Iran Conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a Truth Social post, Trump coupled sweeping threats with a suggestion that last-minute change could still alter the course of events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don\u2019t want that to happen, but it probably will,\u201d Trump wrote. \u201cHowever, 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?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president has repeatedly escalated his rhetoric in recent days, previously warning that the United States could target Iran\u2019s infrastructure\u2014including power plants and bridges\u2014and declining to rule out sending ground troops. He has also set and extended multiple deadlines for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route that has remained effectively closed for weeks during the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s claim that Iran has undergone \u201cComplete and Total Regime Change\u201d remains unclear. While the country\u2019s longtime supreme leader was killed at the outset of the Iran Conflict, Iran\u2019s leadership has since consolidated power under his son, and senior officials have continued to project defiance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That defiance has extended to public mobilization efforts. Iranian figures have encouraged civilians to form human chains around key infrastructure sites that Trump has threatened to strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alireza Rahimi, identified by Iranian state television and the Associated Press as secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, issued a video message calling on \u201call young people, athletes, artists, students, and university students, and their professors\u201d to link arms around power plants on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even as he warned of catastrophic destruction, Trump struck a contradictory tone, pairing threats with praise for the Iranian people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d he wrote. \u201cGod Bless the Great People of Iran!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pentagon appeared to begin acting ahead of the deadline, launching strikes Tuesday on military targets on Iran\u2019s Kharg Island, a key energy hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind the scenes, diplomatic efforts have continued. The United States and Iran have received a ceasefire proposal brokered by Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey that would include a 45-day pause in fighting and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said earlier this week that Iran had made a \u201csignificant\u201d offer, but added it was \u201cnot good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Markets have reacted to the uncertainty, with oil prices climbing to $113.40 per barrel Tuesday morning, up $2.15 from the previous day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Trump has leaned into maximalist threats, other U.S. officials have signaled a more measured approach. Vice President JD Vance, speaking from Hungary where he is supporting Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s reelection bid, emphasized that negotiations remain ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to find out but there\u2019s going to be a lot of negotiation between now and then,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president\u2019s latest remarks have also triggered backlash from some of his allies and conservative figures. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), once a close Trump ally, called for his removal from office under the 25th Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n