President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to agree to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as U.S. and Israeli airstrikes continued to hit infrastructure across the country.
The strikes targeted bridges, a train station, and military sites on Kharg Island, a critical Iranian oil hub. It marked the second time the island has been struck during the conflict, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to reports.
Trump, who has repeatedly extended deadlines, signaled that his latest ultimatum — set for 8 p.m. Washington time — could be final. He threatened to destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges if shipping does not fully resume through the strategic waterway, which typically carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump wrote Tuesday morning, adding that “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”
Iranian officials responded by urging civilian mobilization to protect key infrastructure. One official released a video calling on “young people, athletes, artists, students, university students, and professors” to form human chains around power plants. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said that 14 million people — including himself — had volunteered to fight as part of state-backed campaigns. A Revolutionary Guard general encouraged parents to send their children to help secure checkpoints.
The Revolutionary Guard warned that if Trump follows through on his threats, Iran would cut off oil and gas supplies from the region to the United States and its allies for years and expand its attacks across the Gulf.
Inside Tehran, anxiety has grown as the deadline approaches. A young teacher, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press for safety reasons, said some who initially opposed the Iranian government had hoped outside intervention would quickly end the regime. Now, she fears the consequences of a prolonged war.
“If we don’t have the internet, and if we don’t have electricity, water, and gas, we’re really going back to the Stone Age, as Trump said,” she told the Associated Press.
International officials raised concerns that targeting civilian infrastructure could violate international law. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said such attacks on civilian and energy facilities “are barred by the rules of war, international law,” warning they could accelerate escalation and damage the global economy.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres also cautioned against strikes on civilian infrastructure, which are prohibited under international law, according to his spokesperson. Trump, when asked about potential war crimes allegations, said he is “not at all” concerned.
Airstrikes continued across Iran on Tuesday, including reported hits in residential areas of Tehran, a petrochemical site in Shiraz struck for the second consecutive day, and railway infrastructure. Iranian media reported casualties, including 18 people killed in Alborz province.
Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles toward Saudi Arabia and Israel, prompting the temporary closure of a major bridge linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
The conflict, which began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes, has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and driven up global oil prices. Brent crude rose above $108 per barrel Tuesday, roughly 50% higher than before the war began.
Diplomatic efforts have continued behind the scenes, with mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey attempting to broker a compromise. Iran has rejected a proposed 45-day ceasefire, instead seeking a permanent end to hostilities while tying any reopening of the strait to sanctions relief. U.S. officials have indicated a willingness to ease some oil-related sanctions in an effort to stabilize global energy markets.
More than 1,900 people have reportedly been killed in Iran since the conflict began, though official updates have slowed. Additional casualties have been reported across Lebanon, Gulf Arab states, the West Bank, and Israel, along with the deaths of 13 U.S. service members.
As the deadline nears, the combination of escalating military pressure, civilian mobilization, and ongoing diplomatic efforts underscores the stakes of a conflict centered on one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
