Donald Trump has issued an astonishing threat to end the Iranian civilisation as his deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz looms.
The US 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…47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
Iran’s army had responded to Donald Trump’s threat to “rain hell” on the country if a ceasefire isn’t agreed by vowing to end oil and gas supplies from the region to the US and its allies.
The IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) said in a post on Telegram that its “restraint has ended” and added that it will deprive the US and its allies “of the region’s oil and gas for years to come”.
Trump has given the Iranian regime until 8pm ET (1am BST on Wednesday) to reopen the the Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Meanwhile, US-Israeli forces have reportedly attacked Kharg Island, which serves as Iran’s primary oil export terminal, handling the vast majority of its crude shipments.
Vance appears to confirm reports of US strikes on Kharg Island
Asked about reported strikes on Kharg Island, US Vice-President JD Vance has said it is “my understanding … that we were to strike some military targets on Kharg Island. I believe we’ve done so”.
Saudi Arabia says four drones intercepted in recent hours
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry says its defences have intercepted four drones in recent hours.
‘Iran will burn,’ says Israeli official
According to Israeli correspondent Hallel Bitton Rosen, a senior official in Israel’s security establishment told Israel’s Channel 14 today: “Waiting for the ultimatum to expire tonight, after which if no agreement is reached – what doesn’t look likely right now – Iran will burn.
“Expected to strike many national infrastructures, with an emphasis on energy; it’s advisable to prepare generators.”
US strikes Kharg Island again, says White House official
A White House official who is not authorised to speak publicly has told The Associated Press that the US has hit military targets on the island again after reports of overnight strikes.
Earlier today, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported that there had been several explosions on Kharg Island, without elaborating.
35 people have been killed in Iran today
Thirty-five people have been killed in strikes across Iran so far today, Al Jazeera reports.
Eight people were killed in the Alborz province, nine in Shahriar, six in Pardis and two in Kashan, according to the report.
Vance says Iran war will end ‘very shortly’ but how that happens is ‘up to the Iranians’
US Vice-President JD Vance during a news conference in Hungary that the war in Iran would conclude “very shortly”, but that “the nature of the conclusion is ultimately up to the Iranians”.
He said that negotiations have been focused on the question of “what does this look like afterwards?”
“The president has set a deadline for about 12 hours from now in the United States,” he said, speaking alongside Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. “We’re going to find out, but there’s going to be a lot of negotiation between now and then, and I’m hopeful that it gets to a good resolution.”
Why is Kharg Island important?
Kharg Island is located around 16 miles off the Iranian coast and roughly 300 miles northwest of the Strait of Hormuz.
The small island processes about 90 per cent of Iran’s crude oil exports and has long been vital in connecting the country’s oil reserves to the global market.
It has massive storage tanks and pipelines capable of handling millions of barrels of crude oil daily. Large oil tankers regularly dock there to transport oil extracted from fields in southwestern Iran.
The island was targeted during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War due to its strategic economic importance.
Reports of US strikes on Kharg Island cause surge in oil prices
Reports that the US struck Kharg Island overnight has caused a surge in oil prices.
The price of US crude oil has jumped more than 3 per cent to nearly $116 per barrel, while the Brent crude oil also jumped to more than $110 per barrel.
Donald Trump vows ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’
Donald Trump has issued a final threat to Iran.
The president wrote on Truth Social just now: “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? 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!”
Israeli Foreign Ministry condemns attack on Consulate in Istanbul
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has said it strongly condemns the attack on the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The ministry added it appreciated the “swift action” of Turkish security forces in response to the assault.
We strongly condemn the terrorist attack on the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul today.
We appreciate the Turkish security forces’ swift action in thwarting this attack.
Israeli missions around the world have been subjected to countless threats and terrorist attacks.
Terror will…— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) April 7, 2026
Iran warns of a ‘new stage’ in the war, threatening ‘all previous strikes times two’
Iran’s commander of the airforce has said a new missile platform will give the country to double its strikes, heralding a “new stage” in the war.
Major General Seyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force announced a “new stage” of war, with new dual-launch platforms for Kheibar Shekan and Fattah missiles to be deployed.
He said: “And now a new phase of the war, with the newly-breathed, two-missile launchers of Fateh and Kheybar-Shan, all previous strikes x two,” the semi-official Tansim news agency reported.
Journalist cites ‘senior US official’ saying US attacked Kharg Island
A reporter for Axios Media has cited a ‘senior US official’ as saying that the US has attacked Kharg Island.
Barak Ravid posted on X saying that a the official had confirmed that the US Army had attacked military targets on Kharg Island.
בכיר אמריקני: צבא ארה״ב תקף מטרות צבאיות באי ח׳ארג
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 7, 2026
Railway services have been cancelled after deadly bridge strike
Railway services have been cancelled in Mashhad, in the north-east of Iran, following a warning from the Israeli military, Iran’s Fars news agency has said.
The IDF previously told Iranians to avoid travelling by train as it “endangers your life”.
The news comes after two people were killed and three others injured in an attack on the Yahya Abad railway bridge in Kashan city.
Iran’s official news agency, the The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the deputy security officer of the Isfahan governor said: “A few minutes ago, the American-Zionist aggressor attacked the Yahya Abad railway bridge in Kashan city. Two people were martyred and three others were injured in this attack.”
US-Israeli forces ‘strike Kharg Island’ as explosion heard
The US and Israel have reportedly carried out strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island.
Reports on social media that suggest that residents of Bushehr and Bandar Ganaveh today heard an explosion sound from the Persian Gulf and from the direction of Kharg Island at around 12.30pm.
Based on these reports, the explosion was said to be significant, and the sound was clearly felt in coastal areas. More details about the precise location of the target and the extent of the damage have not yet been released.
A strike on Kharg Island would mark a major escalation in any conflict involving Iran, with consequences extending far beyond the battlefield.
Trump warned his commanders ‘preparing to defy orders’
Retired US Army Lt Gen Mark Hertling has sensationally claimed that military commanders are preparing to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders on the war in Iran in a bombshell announcement.
Iran warns ‘restraint is over’ threatens oil and gas shortages ‘for years’
In a chilling Telegram post the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that “Restraint is Over”.
In the warning, addressed to neighboring countries, the Iranian military said that they would target infrastructure to “deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas” for years to come. The stark warning comes just hours ahead of Donal Trump’s latest deadline, 1am GMT on Wednesday, after which he said the US and Israel would bomb Iranian power stations and bridges.
The IRGC post read: “We will use the infrastructure of the US and its partners to deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas in the region for years.
“America’s regional partners should also know that until today, we have exercised great restraint for the sake of good neighborliness and have had some considerations in choosing targets for retaliation, but all these considerations have since been removed.”