Trump Warns "A Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight"; State-Linked Media Says 'All Diplomatic Comms With US Suspended'
by Tyler Durden
Tuesday, Apr 07, 2026 - 11:35 PM
Summary:
Kharg Island heavily bombed in preparation for potential US Marine/Special Forces ground siezure.
Israel has begun attacking Iran's railway infrastructure, telling civilians to not take trains, cancelations across country.
IRGC still defiant - announces new retaliatory attacks on petrochemical plants in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Iran's 10-point counter to the US 15-point ceasefire shows signs of willingness to compromise ('reparations' from US dropped as a demand). Vance says war will end "very shortly". Tehran Times: All communications with US side suspended.
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Tehran Times: All Diplomatic Channels With US Have Ceased
"Iran has closed all diplomatic and indirect channels of communication with the US," Tehran Times has reported. The publication says that "Any and all message exchanges have also been suspended."
The Tehran Times is seen as tied to the hardline factions of the government, and calls itself the "voice of the Islamic Revolution" - but is not directly state-owned per se.
Meanwhile President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised the willingness of "14 million" Iranian citizens to "sacrifice" by taking to the streets, seeking to protect power plants and other sensitive vital infrastructure, as the US-Israeli bombs rain down. US conservative MSM publications have decried this as a form of "human shields".
The Tehran Times is seen as tied to the hardline factions of the government, and calls itself the "voice of the Islamic Revolution" - but is not directly state-owned per se.
Meanwhile President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised the willingness of "14 million" Iranian citizens to "sacrifice" by taking to the streets, seeking to protect power plants and other sensitive vital infrastructure, as the US-Israeli bombs rain down. US conservative MSM publications have decried this as a form of "human shields".
WH Trying to Manufacture 'Mission Accomplished'? Vance Says Objectives Completed
Vice President JD Vance has said that "very shortly" this war will be "completed" in a Tuesday morning statement. He stated specifically that the military objectives have been accomplished, adding there are "two pathways" - and that optimistically this will involve "lots of negotiations" - but with a deadline of 8pm ET. The US is "confident it will get an Iran response."
The below is from Hala Jaber, a longtime Sunday Times journalist and veteran Middle East war correspondent:
Trump is scrambling behind the scenes for a ceasefire with Iran, according to claims emerging via Fars News Agency. Allegations point to urgent outreach through multiple governments & intelligence channels. Citing what it describes as an “informed source,” the report claims the U.S. has been pushing for a ceasefire via backchannels, using countries it believes have credibility with Tehran.
According to the same account, Iran received calls from five heads of government & eight intelligence agencies, all seeking to open a path toward a ceasefire. It further claims Washington is considering reshaping its negotiation team, including removing Witkoff due to his ties to Netanyahu’s circle & replacing him with Vance to lead a more serious track. The urgency, the source says, is driven by mounting military & economic pressure, including fears of surging fuel prices. If true, it would mark a stark contrast to the public posture.
Trump: A Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight
Trump seems to be openly announcing plans for genocide - saying he's going to annihilate an entire civilization. What else do you call this? "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," he threatened in a Tuesday Truth Social Post. "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?" - he continued.
Meanwhile, according to The Associated Press:
Airstrikes pounded Tehran on Tuesday, and Iranian officials urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants, hours before the expiration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest deadline for the Islamic Republic to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes on its infrastructure.
Kharg Island Bombed (Again)
Kharg Island is being bombed again on Tuesday, with a senior US officials telling Fox's Jennifer Griffin that the "U.S. hit dozens of military targets on Kharg Island overnight." Per the fresh reporting the targets included bunkers, a radar station, and ammunition storage.
However, the same officials described that landing docks were not intentionally targeted - that they only would have been struck if Iranians fired something from next to them. This development has led to speculation that this could be another round of softening operations to prepare for some kind of US Marine or special forces seizure.
This send oil back to the highs...
This would without doubt be very high risk, with the potential for significant US casualties. More from Griffin:
The strikes on Kharg Island were carried out solely by the US, not Israel, I am told. “This is a message to the Iranians,” a senior US official told me.
Axios cites a US official to say the strikes on Kharg island were not directed at oil infrastructure, but were "re-strikes" on military targets that were hit previously.
Bridges, Power Plants, Tit-For-Tat Warning
President Trump has been warning of the "complete demolition" of Iran’s power plants and bridges in a matter of hours - so by Tuesday's end - if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened by his deadline. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, is urging some last minute diplomatic action, warning, "We are close to the point where the situation in the region could spiral out of control." There have meanwhile been reports of more Iranian attacks on Qatar. "There are no winners if this war continues," he said.
But Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is not backing down, having on Tuesday claimed responsibility for attacks on petrochemical facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Jubail region, stating the strikes were retaliation for earlier Israeli attacks on its Shiraz petrochemical facility.
Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that any strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges would trigger reciprocal attacks on regional infrastructure. The IRGC stated it targeted American companies in Jubail with missiles and drones, including Sadra, ExxonMobil, and Dark Chemical.
Images posted online show damage to a highway bridge between the northwestern Iranian cities of Hashtroud and Tabriz, following apparent Israeli strikes.
It also stated that a petrochemical complex in Juaymah belonging to the US company Shourdan Phillips was struck with medium-range missiles and drones.
Israeli Attacks on Iran Rail, Infrastructure Have Already Begun
Iran's Mehr News Agency is reporting attacks on Iran's rail system, including an Israeli strike hit the Yahya Abad railway bridge in the city of Kashan, in central Iran. The Deputy Governor of Isfahan has said that the strike killed two people.
The attack came after the IDF issued a warning telling Iranians against using trains for their "safety" until 9pm local time (17:30 GMT).
The governor of Mashhad has already announced the immediate suspension of all rail services departing the city amid the Israeli threat. It's being reported as a precautionary measure that will remain in effect "until further notice". Apparently this rail operation is being done only by the Israeli side of the bombing campaign.
More on Iran's 10-Point Response to US Ceasefire Plan
Iran has delivered its highly anticipated "10-point" response to the US' "15-point peace plan." Iran's 10-point plan includes, according to a paraphrase:
1. Guarantee that Iran will not be attacked again
2. Permanent end to the war, not just a ceasefire
3. End to Israeli strikes in Lebanon
4. Lifting of all US sanctions on Iran
5. End to all regional fighting against Iranian allies
6. In return, Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz
7. Iran would impose a Hormuz fee of $2 million per ship
8. Iran would split these fees with Oman
9. Iran to provide rules for safe passage through Hormuz
10. Iran to use Hormuz fees for reconstruction instead of reparations
Importantly, Tehran has dropped its demand for full war reconstruction reparations to be paid directly by the United States, providing a potential window to reach actual compromise with Washington.
75 Gulf Energy Assets Damaged In U.S.-Iran War As Supply Shock Intensifies
International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol was interviewed by the French newspaper Le Figaro earlier on Tuesday and warned that the Gulf energy shock "is more severe than those of 1973, 1979, and 2022 combined" because it is affecting oil, gas, food, fertilizers, petrochemicals, helium, and global trade all at once.
Birol said in the interview that more than 75 energy sites across the Gulf region have been attacked, with about a third severely damaged, suggesting tens of billions of dollars in repairs and a prolonged disruption of some energy flows, further tightening global supplies and compounding the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.
The newspaper asked Birol, "How quickly can Gulf production recover?"
He responded:
"We are monitoring energy infrastructure in real time—fields, refineries, terminals. Seventy-five facilities have been attacked and damaged, more than a third severely. Repairs will take a long time. Countries like Saudi Arabia may recover faster due to strong engineering capabilities and financial resources, but elsewhere, such as Iraq, the situation is far worse. About 15 million people depend on oil and gas revenues there, and the country has lost two-thirds of its oil income, approaching economic paralysis. It will take a long time for the Middle East—previously a reliable energy hub—to recover."
Cherry-picking the most important parts of the interview:
Le Figaro asked: Who will suffer the most?
Birol responded: The global economy will suffer. Of course, European countries will struggle, as will Japan, Australia, and others. But developing countries will be the most affected due to high oil, gas, and food prices, and accelerating inflation. Their economic growth will be heavily impacted. I fear many developing countries will see their external debt rise significantly. That is why I am pessimistic—this crisis stems not from energy itself, but from geopolitics.
Le Figaro asked: Which countries are most exposed to shortages?
Birol responded: Import-dependent countries are most exposed: in Asia—South Korea, Japan, but especially Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. African countries will also be heavily affected, as developing nations have limited financial flexibility.
Le Figaro asked: How quickly can Gulf production recover?
Birol responded: We are monitoring energy infrastructure in real time—fields, refineries, terminals. Seventy-five facilities have been attacked and damaged, more than a third severely. Repairs will take a long time. Countries like Saudi Arabia may recover faster due to strong engineering capabilities and financial resources, but elsewhere, such as Iraq, the situation is far worse. About 15 million people depend on oil and gas revenues there, and the country has lost two-thirds of its oil income, approaching economic paralysis. It will take a long time for the Middle East—previously a reliable energy hub—to recover.
Le Figaro asked: How significant is the drop in Gulf oil production?
Birol responded: Enormous. These countries are producing just over half of pre-war levels. As for natural gas, exports have stopped entirely. March was already difficult, but April will be worse. If the Strait remains closed throughout April, we will lose twice as much crude and refined products as in March. We are entering a "black April." In the Northern Hemisphere, April usually marks spring—but now it may feel like the beginning of winter.
Birol has painted a bleak outlook for energy markets and the global economy for weeks in various interviews.
However, emerging through the fog of war, the U.S. appears poised to be a net beneficiary of the chaos across the Gulf, with energy flows expected to remain disrupted for some time.
Qatar Dethroned As 'LNG King' As U.S. Seizes Throne, Reshaping Future Of Gas
Wyoming's Helium Empire Ascends As Qatar Gas Goes Flat
A reminder to readers of JPMorgan's note last week, mapping how the energy shock dominoes begin to fall. Read it here.
