President Donald Trump on April 7 warned that "a whole civilization will be destroyed" if Iran does not meet its request to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before the deadline he set.
In a post on the social network Truth Social, President Trump said that if no agreement is reached, the consequences will be irreversible. The statement was made when the US ultimatum was about to expire, requiring Tehran to reopen an important maritime route if it does not want civilian infrastructure such as bridges and power plants to be attacked.
However, the US leader still left open the possibility of reaching an agreement at the last minute, emphasizing that there may be breakthrough changes.
Speaking in Budapest, Vice President JD Vance said that many negotiations are still ahead of schedule and expressed hope for a positive outcome.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that the US carried out airstrikes on Kharg Island, an important oil export point. Mr. Vance confirmed the attack but said that the target was only military facilities and this did not change the deadline set by Mr. Trump.
Iran previously rejected the ultimatum, warning that any action from the US could plunge the region into a large-scale conflict. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that it would respond beyond the Middle East if it was "crossed the line", and threatened to disrupt the energy supply of the US and its allies.
The Strait of Hormuz, a shipping route accounting for about 20% of global oil supplies, is currently almost paralyzed due to conflicts between the US-Israel and Iran. About 1,000 ships are stranded in the Gulf region, increasing concerns about global economic impacts.
