U.S. President Donald Trump warned that “an entire civilization will die tonight” if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, just hours before the deadline of his ultimatum.
“An entire civilization will die tonight, never to return,” Trump wrote on social media, adding that the coming hours would mark “one of the most important moments” in world history.
“I don’t want that to happen, but it will probably happen,” he said.
Trump had issued an ultimatum to Iran demanding that the regime allow all oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz by 8:00 p.m. in Washington (01:00 Wednesday in Lisbon).
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On Monday, Trump also threatened to destroy Iran’s infrastructure within hours if the demands were not met.
“We have a plan, thanks to the power of our armed forces, to destroy all of Iran’s bridges by midnight [today], to shut down all power plants (…) so they can never be used again,” he stated.
In his latest message, Trump said he expects his threat to be taken seriously and his orders followed. He also suggested the possibility of regime change in Iran, expressing hope that “different, smarter, and less radical minds” could lead to a positive outcome.
“We will find out tonight in one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world,” he added, referring to the 47 years since the Iranian Revolution.
“May God bless the great people of Iran,” Trump concluded.
