Iran responded defiantly to President Donald Trump's latest threat of catastrophic consequences if Tehran does not agree to a peace deal by an 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday deadline.
Iran also signaled it could move to take control of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key Red Sea chokepoint through which roughly $1 trillion in goods pass annually, the New York Post reported Tuesday, citing Reuters.
Trump wrote Tuesday morning on Truth Social that if Iran did not meet the deadline, "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?" the president wrote. "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!"
Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, responded on X that his "civilized" country will win over "brute force."
"The power of a ‘CIVILIZED' nation's culture, logic, and faith in its righteous cause will undoubtedly prevail over the logic of brute force," Baqaei wrote. "A nation that has every faith in the righteousness of its path shall harness all its capacities and capabilities to safeguard its rights and legitimate interests. #IranWillWin"
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani echoed Baqaei's remarks in a post on X.
"No threat is capable of collapsing the civilization rooted in the Cyrus Cylinder and the spirituality of Islam," Mohajerani wrote. "The security of the country is the government's top priority, and all affairs are managed with utmost care."
Iran's latest posture includes the possibility of targeting additional global shipping lanes and coordinating with regional terrorist proxies, including the Houthis in Yemen, to increase leverage if the conflict widens.
Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping route, severely restricting the flow of oil and commercial goods.
The threat comes as Trump warned Iran that failure to meet U.S. demands, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, could bring devastating consequences. Those could include destruction of key energy and civilian infrastructure, such as roads and bridges.
Iranian officials have responded defiantly, warning they could disrupt global oil and gas supplies and expand attacks across the region if the U.S. follows through.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a crucial artery for global trade and energy shipments. Any disruption there would mark a major escalation beyond the already volatile Hormuz standoff.
The Houthis have warned they would assist in taking the 20-mile-wide strait should the Iranian regime need assistance. Attacks along the strait would further threaten shipments from Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of oil, which has been redirecting shipments through the Red Sea following the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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