Tensions in the Middle East appear to be escalating quickly. In a post on Sunday, Donald Trump threatened attacks on Iranian infrastructure — including power plants and bridges — if Iran does not reopen shipping through the Strait of Hormuz by a Tuesday deadline. The Strait is one of the most important oil shipping routes in the world, and disruptions there have already caused global concern.
Trump’s message used unusually strong language and warned that the United States could launch strikes if Iran continues to block or interfere with shipping. In the post, he wrote: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
According to the timeline mentioned in the statement, the deadline is approaching quickly — with only about 6 hours remaining before the moment he suggested action could occur.