Donald Trump on Tuesday issued his most extreme warning yet against Iran: “an entire civilization will perish tonight.” He did so just hours before the U.S. ultimatum to the Persian country expires, with no agreement in place and negotiations virtually broken down.
The brief, unqualified statement reflects the level of tension reached in a conflict that is approaching a point of no return if a last-minute diplomatic deal does not avert it before the early hours of Wednesday, when the deadline set by the White House for Iranian authorities will have expired.
In fact, the deadline set by Washington expires tonight, and so far there are no signs that Tehran will accept the demanded conditions. Diplomacy has failed to secure an understanding, and the immediate scenario is that of a possible large-scale military escalation, with unpredictable consequences in the Middle East and beyond.
Trump warns Iran: ‘an entire civilization will perish tonight’
Trump has escalated his rhetoric in recent hours with a message that has sparked international alarm. “An entire civilization is going to die tonight. I don’t want it to happen, but it will probably happen,” he wrote, in what is being interpreted as a warning of imminent military action if Iran does not yield before the deadline expires.
The U.S. president said that Iran will return to the “Stone Age” and be left without power plants or bridges if there is no agreement before Tuesday night — Wednesday in Iran. “All of Iran’s bridges will have been destroyed by midnight tomorrow,” he said.
The direct threat comes in a context of escalating tensions with Iran, after nearly six weeks of attacks. In fact, in the preceding days, the president had already hardened his tone, warning that the United States is prepared to strike key Iranian infrastructure, including power plants, bridges, and energy facilities.
This situation is framed by the repeated — and so far unsuccessful — demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery through which a substantial share of the world’s oil flows.
The ultimatum — recently extended — set Tuesday night as the deadline. From that point on, Trump has reiterated, the response could be “devastating.” At the same time, the president has justified his stance by arguing that the conflict could put an end to decades of what he describes as “extortion, corruption, and death” by the Iranian regime.
The failure of the negotiations
Talks aimed at preventing an escalation have so far failed. Washington is proposing a ceasefire conditioned on the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran is demanding broader guarantees, with its own peace plan that includes an end to the attacks and lasting commitments to peace.
That disagreement has blocked any progress. Iran has made it clear it will not accept conditions under pressure and has warned of reprisals if there is a direct attack on non-military targets on its territory or its civilian infrastructure, maintaining that its response would go “beyond regional targets.”
“If attacks against civilian targets are repeated, the next phases of our offensive and retaliatory operations will be far more devastating and widespread,” a statement from a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s highest operational military command unit, said.
In recent hours, even international mediation efforts have shown little progress. Intermediary countries have tried to bring positions closer, but the demands of both sides remain incompatible at this time.
As diplomatic room narrows, the situation on the ground is rapidly deteriorating. Attacks on energy facilities, power outages in several areas of Iran, and explosions at key infrastructure such as Kharg Island, the country’s main oil terminal, have been reported.
The United States has stepped up its operations against strategic targets, while Israel continues bombing positions linked to Iran’s military apparatus. Tehran, for its part, has responded with strikes targeting infrastructure in countries allied with Washington in the region, expanding the risk of a broader regional conflict.
The exchange of strikes is not only increasing the number of victims, but also worsening the impact on the civilian population. Damage to power grids, transportation, and basic services is fueling fears of a humanitarian collapse if the escalation continues.
امدادرسانی تیمهای عملیاتی #هلالاحمر به هموطنان آسیبدیده از حملات هوایی به یک #منطقه_مسکونی در #تهران
Iranian Red Crescent operational teams in Tehran are providing emergency relief services to compatriots affected after an airstrike destroyed a #civilian_area. https://t.co/utCldHn09i pic.twitter.com/hlNWsi3pvq
— جمعیت هلالاحمر ایران (@Iranian_RCS) April 7, 2026
An ultimatum with global impact
The standoff between Washington and Tehran is not limited to the military sphere. A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens to disrupt global energy supply, drive up oil prices, and create uncertainty in international markets.
Added to this is the political and legal dimension of the threats. Experts have warned that the language used by Trump, particularly the reference to the destruction of an “entire civilization,” could be interpreted as incitement to actions that violate international law.
At the same time, the conflict has intensified geopolitical polarization, with U.S. allies backing pressure on Iran and other actors calling for urgent de-escalation to avoid a war with unpredictable consequences.
With the ultimatum about to expire, the scenario remains open but increasingly narrow. Trump has made it clear he expects an immediate response, while Iran maintains its refusal to yield under pressure.
The phrase delivered by the U.S. president sums up the moment: an extreme warning in a context where any move could trigger a greater escalation. The coming hours will be decisive in determining whether the crisis moves toward a last-minute agreement or toward a large-scale direct confrontation with unpredictable consequences.