Published: 01:02 AM, 08 April 2026
Trump warns 'whole civilization' could die
Says Iran still has time to act
US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 6, 2026. -Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that "a whole civilization" could be destroyed, while urging Iran to agree to a deal ahead of his looming deadline.
The warning came about 12 hours before a deadline set by Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face severe military strikes.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," adding, "I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."
Despite the stark warning, Trump signaled there was still a chance to avoid escalation, saying that "maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen."
The comments come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with fears growing over possible military action if no agreement is reached.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials reported damage to at least two bridges, railway infrastructure and a key highway on Tuesday as part of a wave of deadly US-Israeli airstrikes on infrastructure targets.
A bridge near the holy city of Qom and another carrying a railway line in the central city of Kashan were struck, according to regional officials quoted by state media.
Two people were killed and three were injured in Kashan, senior regional security official Akbar Salehi said, according to Iran's IRNA news agency.
A key highway in northern Iran connecting the main northern city of Tabriz with Tehran via Zanjan was also closed after a hit around 90 kilometres (55 miles) outside of Tabriz, an official told IRNA.
A Telegram channel of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the strike hit an overpass bridge.
The Mizan news agency also reported a strike on railway tracks in Karaj, outside Tehran, with images showing Red Crescent rescuers carrying an injured man on a stretcher.
All trains were cancelled to and from Iran's second city of Mashhad on Tuesday following a warning from Israel against using the railways.
According to the ISNA news agency, there was a power outage in parts of the cities of Karaj and Fardis outside Tehran after power transmission lines and a power substation were knocked out of service by airstrikes.
As reports of the damage emerged from Iran, the Israeli military said it had completed a broad wave of strikes targeting "infrastructure sites", without providing details of what the sites were.
US President Donald Trump had threatened to target Iranian infrastructure unless Tehran agreed a deal to end the war on Tuesday, saying he was "considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil".
>>Agency
