US president Donald Trump has issued a terrifying warning to Iran as the deadline he set for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches.
Taking to Truth Social, the president said: "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?"
Trump 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!"
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The president's deadline to Tehran will officially expire at 8pm Washington DC time (1am Wednesday GMT), with the 79-year-old previously warning that the Middle Eastern country could be sent back to the 'Stone Ages' should they fail to comply with his demands.
He's said if a deal isn't agreed before then, a new round of strikes will take place, targeting bridges and power plants.
Trump said on Monday: "Very little is off-limits."
Some legal experts have said that purposefully destroying civilian infrastructure would constitute a war crime.
The UN has issued a stern warning to Trump
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned Trump: "We were alarmed by the rhetoric seen in that social media post that threatened American attacks on power plants, bridges, and other infrastructure, should Iran not agree to a deal.
"The Secretary-General has been very clear on issues regarding international law, [...] and he recalls that civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, may not be attacked; even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective, international humanitarian law would still prohibit attacks against them if they may be expected to cause excessive incidental civilian harm."
When pressed as to whether Trump would be committing a war crime, Dujarric said Trump's planned attacks 'would constitute violations of international law, and I think whether something is a crime or not a crime would have to be decided by a court, but any attack on civilian infrastructure is a violation of international law and a very clear one'.
Trump is unfazed, telling reporters during a children's Easter egg event on the White House lawn (via Reuters): "I'm not worried about it. You know what's a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon."
Is there any sign the US and Iran could reach a deal before the deadline?
While Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt have all tried to help mediate peace negotiations, on Monday Iran rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal, and said it wanted a permanent end to the war instead.
Trump responded furiously, saying at a news conference yesterday (6 April): "The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night."
Iran came back with a 10-point peace plan. The exact contents aren't public, but it did include a plan for how ships could start to pass through the Strait of Hormuz again, and the lifting of sanctions on Iran.
Trump said: "It's a significant step. It's not good enough."
The president has insisted a peace deal must involve the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a previous Truth Social post last week, Trump advised other countries worried about spiralling oil prices due to the key throughway being blocked to 'build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT'.
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, World News
James Moorhouse