Timeline: Trump’s ultimatums for Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

Trump on Iran: "Whole Civilization will die tonight"

President Trump is issuing new threats to Iran as the 8PM deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz looms and targets were struck in Iran's Kharg Island overnight. In a new Truth Social Post the president said: "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? 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!"

President Donald Trump on Tuesday agreed to postpone further attacks on Iran for two weeks, once again pushing back his deadline. 

In a post on his social media site Tuesday evening, Trump said Iran would agree "to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz" and said that he’d then "suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks."

Since the war began in February, Trump has set a series of deadlines threatening escalation of the conflict in Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, only to back off just before they expire.

FILE - President Donald Trump conducts a news conference in the White House briefing room about the war in Iran on Monday, April 6, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Here’s a look at Trump’s mounting threats over the past weeks: 

Timeline:

April 7

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump issued a new threat on Truth Social, saying: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will." 

Ultimately, Iran and the U.S. agreed to a ceasefire deal after both countries had conversations with Pakistan that would extend the deadline by two weeks and allow more time for diplomacy. 

April 4

Two days before his postponed deadline for Iran to reopen the strait, Trump said that time was running out and that in 48 hours "all Hell will reign down on" Iran. 

"Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!" the president added. 

March 23

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the U.S. had had "productive" conversations with Iran and that he had ordered the Pentagon to delay any strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

Iranian officials publicly denied that any talks were taking place.

March 21

In a Truth Social post, Trump declared that if Iran did not "FULLY OPEN" the strait within 48 hours, the United States would "obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!"

Ali Mousavi, Iran’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, responded by saying that the Strait of Hormuz was "open to everyone" except Tehran's enemies. 

Meanwhile, other Iranian officials warned that attacks on energy infrastructure would amount to an attack on the Iranian people and would be met with retaliation.