US President Donald Trump warned that “whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran fails to meet his 8 pm Washington deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The ultimatum comes amid escalating tensions, Israeli strikes and growing global concerns over the conflict
Published Date – 7 April 2026, 09:27 PM
Washington: US President Donald Trump has warned that a “whole civilisation will die tonight” but said Iran still has time to capitulate ahead of a deadline set for 8 pm in Washington.
The American leader issued the stark threat Tuesday, about 12 hours ahead of his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes.
Iran rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the war as Trump’s ultimatum to make a deal ticked closer with an expanded threat of strikes against the Islamic Republic to include all power plants and bridges.
Trump said Monday he is “not at all” concerned about committing possible war crimes as he again threatened to destroy Iranian infrastructure if Tehran does not meet his deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the US that attacking civilian infrastructure is banned under international law, his spokesperson said Monday.
Over 1,500 killed in Lebanon
And more than 1 million people have been displaced, the country’s health ministry said.
Among the 1,530 killed are 102 women and 130 children are among the dead, as well as 57 children paramedics, according to the government count.
The number of Hezbollah militants killed is unclear.
More than 4,800 people were also wounded in the war.
Eleven Israeli soldiers have died there.
This latest war was sparked after Hezbollah fired rockets towards northern Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran also at war with Israel and the United States.
Top Senate Democrat calls Trump ‘extremely sick person’
Sen. Chuck Schumer responded to President Trump’s dire threat against Iran by calling on Republicans to vote against the war.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, has joined with others in his party in forcing votes on legislation that would halt Trump from ordering further attacks on Iran unless he received congressional approval. So far, though, just a few Republicans have voted to rein in Trump’s power to order the attacks.
Schumer said on social media that any Republican who declines to vote “against this wanton war of choice owns every consequence” of Trump’s actions.
Oil prices rise as US stocks dip
Oil prices are rising and US stocks are falling Tuesday, but the moves aren’t as dramatic as the dire talk coming from both sides in the war with Iran.
President Trump threatened that a “whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”, if Iran doesn’t meet his latest self-imposed deadline at 8 p.m. Eastern time to open the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants Trump has threatened to bomb.
But the S and P 500 slipped just 0.5 per cent as officials involved in diplomatic efforts said talks were ongoing, even though it was unclear if a deal would come in time to head off Trump’s threatened attacks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 271 points, or 0.6 per cent, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6 per cent lower.
Israeli warplanes struck bridges and railways in Iran: Netanyahu
In a statement released by his office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was using them to transport materials to make weapons.
He said he approved the strikes with Defence Minister Israel Katz and said they weren’t meant to target Iranian civilians but the government.
“This is no longer the same Iran, nor is it the same Israel. We are changing the balance of power from one end to the other,” Netanyahu said.
Pakistan’s military backs mediation efforts
Pakistan’s military on Tuesday voiced support for government efforts aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, stressing the need for restraint and dialogue while warning that recent attacks on Saudi Arabia risk undermining ongoing diplomatic initiatives.
The remarks came during a meeting of top commanders chaired by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to a statement from the military.
It said the military strongly condemned recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical and industrial facilities, calling them an “unnecessary escalation” that could spoil “sincere efforts to resolve the conflict through peaceful means”.
The forum noted that Saudi Arabia’s restraint “despite grave provocations” had helped enable mediation and diplomatic options but warned that continued attacks risk damaging the “conducive environment” needed for negotiations.
US didn’t target oil infrastructure in Kharg strikes: US official
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, described the strikes overnight as hitting targets previously struck and not directed at oil infrastructure.
The official didn’t clarify what was specifically hit on the island.
The US has already struck various targets on the island, including air defences, a radar site, the airport and a hovercraft base, according to satellite analysis by the Institute for the Study of War and American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project.
Iran has allowed two French former detainees to leave country, says Macron
They had been holed up in French diplomatic premises there since their release from prison.
“Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran,” Macron tweeted.
The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favourably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war. Macron has distanced France from the conflict, saying his country wasn’t consulted in advance about the U.S-Israel strikes and didn’t want the war.
Macron thanked Oman for playing a mediation role.
Vance seemed to confirm reports of US strikes on Iran’s Kharg
Responding to a question on the reported strike, he said it is “my understanding … that we were to strike some military targets on Kharg Island. I believe we’ve done so”.
