Trump Threatens to “Take Out” Iran “in One Night” if Strait of Hormuz Not Reopened by Tuesday Deadline
US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening to “take out” the country “in one night” if it fails to reach an “acceptable” deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his self-imposed deadline.
The deadline is set for 20:00 Washington DC time on Tuesday (which is 00:00 GMT on Wednesday).
Speaking at a White House news conference alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said he believed “reasonable” leaders in Iran were negotiating in “good faith”, but the outcome remained uncertain.
He repeated his earlier threat that the US could launch devastating attacks on Iran’s energy and transportation infrastructure if the strategic waterway — through which about one-fifth of global oil and LNG passes — is not reopened.
“The entire country can be taken out in one night – and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.
Once the deadline passes, he added, Iran would be sent back to the “Stone Ages”.
“They’re going to have no bridges. They’re going to have no power plants.”
Trump also renewed criticism of key US allies, including the UK, NATO, and South Korea, claiming they had failed to support the US during the conflict.
Iran’s Position
Iran has rejected proposals for a temporary ceasefire, instead demanding a permanent end to the conflict and the lifting of sanctions. A regional official familiar with the discussions told the BBC that meaningful progress is unlikely without a ceasefire first, and that communication with Iranian officials has been severely hampered by an ongoing blackout.
Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt have been involved in mediation efforts.
Legal Concerns
Legal experts have warned that deliberate, sustained assaults on Iranian civilian infrastructure could amount to war crimes.
“Obliterating all power plants, threatening coercive actions against the civilian population to try to bring a government to the negotiating table – those kinds of things are all flatly illegal,” said Tess Bridgeman, a former Obama-era National Security Council legal adviser.
Trump responded that he was not “worried” about such concerns and claimed Iran’s population would be “willing to suffer to have freedom”.
Background
The comments come days after US forces recovered two crew members from an F-15 fighter jet downed in southern Iran. The US has conducted over 13,000 strikes across Iran since the conflict began, according to US Central Command.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies, and its closure has already caused significant disruptions and price spikes.
The situation remains highly fluid, with the world watching to see whether a deal can be reached before Trump’s deadline expires.
