Global Leaders Condemn Trump’s Civilizational Threat Against Iran

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Pope Leo XIV have expressed disapproval of U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” unless Iran reaches a deal to halt the war and clear the Strait of Hormuz. Guterres emphasized that the remarks indicated populations might face the repercussions of political and military choices, which he found concerning. Pope Leo XIV called the threats “unacceptable” in a statement.

With the 00:00 GMT deadline looming, Pakistan, acting as a regional mediator, proposed a two-week extension to facilitate further diplomatic discussions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on X: “Diplomatic efforts for peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict are advancing steadily, robustly, and effectively, potentially leading to significant outcomes soon.” Sharif also urged Iran’s leaders to “open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture.”

Trump issued an apocalyptic warning to Iran’s leaders, intensifying pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for 20% of global oil and gas shipments. “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” the president wrote on Truth Social. He added, “Now that we’ve achieved complete and total regime change, where wiser, calmer minds take over, maybe something revolutionary and positive could emerge, who knows? We’ll see tonight.”

“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

The president stated that the U.S. military could obliterate all bridges and power plants in Iran within four hours if a deal wasn’t reached by the deadline. Vice President JD Vance expressed hope for a deal but noted that the U.S. had “tools in our arsenal we’ve yet to deploy” against Iran if negotiations failed. The White House clarified that Vance was not referencing nuclear weapons in his remarks.

The strikes followed intensified attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran on Tuesday, targeting military sites at the Kharg Island oil terminal and eight railway bridges. Iranian officials reported that a railway bridge in Kashan and sections of tracks in Karaj, near Tehran, were hit, resulting in two deaths. Additionally, strikes in Alborz province claimed 18 lives, and the Rafie-Nia synagogue in the capital was destroyed.

“Now that we’ve achieved complete and total regime change, where wiser, calmer minds take over, maybe something revolutionary and positive could emerge, who knows? We’ll see tonight.”

The Israeli military expressed regret over the “collateral damage” to the Rafie-Nia synagogue, stating it was intended to target a high-ranking Iranian military officer. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that fighter jets had targeted railway tracks and bridges in Iran, which he accused the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of using to transport personnel, weapons, and supplies.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian previously stated that over 14 million Iranians had “registered to sacrifice their lives for the country’s defense.” State media images showed dozens of people forming human chains around bridges and power plants as a show of solidarity. The IRGC vowed to escalate retaliation beyond the region if “the American terrorist force crosses its thresholds,” threatening to target infrastructure to “disrupt U.S. and allied access to oil and gas for years.”