Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
07-04-2026
WASHINGTON/ TEHRAN: President Donald Trump issued a stark threat to Iran, saying “a whole civilization will die tonight” as the US president’s imposed deadline approaches for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“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!”
Trump previously threatened to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian infrastructure, saying the country will face dire consequences if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. Trump has previously set multiple deadlines that have subsequently shifted.
The president and the White House have dismissed concerns that targeting such infrastructure would likely constitute a war crime.
Iran, on the other hand, has avoided matching Trump’s rhetoric. Rather, it dismissed his threats as “stupid” while Iranian diplomatic missions from across the world have trolled Trump on social media, using tongue-in-cheek responses.
Iranian missions take to social media
Iranian embassies from London to Pretoria, and New Delhi to Moscow, launched a sarcastic campaign on social media, attacking Trump’s mental acuity, mocking his language, and sharing satirical memes.
The most viral exchange occurred over Trump’s blunt demand to “Open the Strait”. The Iranian embassy in Zimbabwe casually said on social media: “We’ve lost the keys.”
The joke quickly snowballed across continents.
The Iranian embassy in South Africa chimed in, telling Zimbabwe, “Shh… the key’s under the flowerpot. Just open for friends.”
Taking the mockery a step further, the Iranian embassy in Bulgaria responded to the thread with a sharp jab referencing the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein: “Doors open for friends. Epstein’s friends need keys.”
US oil surges above $116
The price of US oil has now doubled in 2026, a stunning spike that escalated after the United States on Tuesday struck military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island.
US crude climbed another 3% to about $116 a barrel in recent trading. At one point, oil traded as high as $116.56.
Oil futures were trading flat to slightly lower Tuesday morning but then Iranian media reported explosions on Kharg Island, where nearly all of the country’s oil is exported from.
A US official told media that the United States has struck military targets on the strategic island. The strikes did not target oil facilities, the official added.
When the year started, US oil futures were trading at just $57 a barrel. They have now spiked by about 102% on the year, a rare move that underscores the historic supply crisis set off by the war with Iran.
Strikes take place across the Middle East with dozens of deaths reported,
Attacks across the Middle East are still taking place, with dozens of deaths reported, as US President Donald Trump set a Tuesday deadline for Iran to make a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
