TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — President Donald Trump has warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight” but said Iran still has time to capitulate ahead of a deadline set for 8 p.m. in Washington.
The American leader issued the stark threat Tuesday, about 12 hours ahead of his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes.
Trump wrote on his social media site: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”
He added: “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
But Trump’s statement nonetheless kept the possibility of an off-ramp open, saying that “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”
