Donald Trump (file photo)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a stern warning to Iran as part of his ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz, saying “the entire civilization will die tonight”.“Tonight an entire civilization will die, 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 radical minds prevail, maybe something revolutionary wonderful can happen, who knows?” said the US President on Truth Social.

He added, “We are talking about a “historic moment” tonight, one of the most important moments in the world’s long and complex history. 47 years of extortion, corruption and death will finally end. God bless the great people of Iran!”This comes as the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States continues to escalate. Separate attacks on Tuesday targeted a major railway bridge in Kashan and Iran’s primary oil export hub on Kharg island, according to reports. The Yahya Abad rail bridge in the central region was hit, while several attacks were reported on the island facility, which handles a large portion of Iran’s oil exports.Trump issued several warnings over the past few days that Iran’s power plants and bridges could be destroyed within hours if Tehran fails to meet his demands, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz. At a press conference on Monday, he said the country’s infrastructure could be “taken out overnight”, warning that there would be “no bridges, no power plants” if Tehran did not comply.Amid rising tensions, Iranian official Alireza Rahimi has urged citizens, especially youth, to gather around major power plants at a certain time in what appears to be a call to form human chains around critical infrastructure, describing them as “national assets” and appealing for unity beyond political boundaries.