Donald Trump (File photo)
US president Donald Trump on Tuesday gave a stark warning to Iran as his ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz, saying “whole civilisation will die tonight”.“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, 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?” said the US president on Truth Social.
Further continuing is stamtent talking about a “historic moment”, he added, “We 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. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”This comes as the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States continues to escalate. A key railway bridge in Kashan and Iran’s primary oil export hub on Kharg Island were targeted in separate strikes on Tuesday, according to reports. The Yahya Abad rail bridge was hit in the central region, while multiple strikes were reported at the island facility, which handles a major share of Iran’s oil exports.Trump in the past few days made multiple warnings that Iran’s power plants and bridges could be destroyed within hours if Tehran fails to meet his demands, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In a press conference on Monday, he said the country’s infrastructure could be “taken out in one night”, warning there would be “no bridges, no power plants” if Tehran does not comply.Amid the escalating tensions, Iranian official Alireza Rahimi has urged citizens, especially youth, to gather around key power plants at a fixed hour, in what appears to be a call for human chains around critical infrastructure, describing them as “national assets” and appealing for unity across political lines.