Will US go nuclear? Trump’s Iran ‘civilisation’ threat fuels speculation; White House responds

As US President Donald Trump threatened to kill the “whole civilisation” in Iran if his deadline on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not met, speculation grew over whether the rhetoric signals a possible nuclear escalation.

The speculation grew louder after his deputy JD Vance doubled down, saying the US has “tools” in its “toolkit” that it has so far not used but the President can decide to use them.

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The remarks were picked up by a news handle on X, claiming Vance implied that “Trump might use nuclear weapons.”

Responding to the remarks, White House’s official Rapid Response account clarified that what Vance said didn’t imply Trump authorising a nuclear attack on Iran.

“Literally nothing @VPsaid here “implies” this, you absolute buffoons,” the White House handle wrote.

This follows Trump’s earlier remarks on social media where he upped his rhetoric, threatening to wipe out the entire Iranian civilisation if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” the US President wrote on Truth Social.

He further added, “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 revolutionary 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!”

Iran refuses to budge

Despite Trump’s grave warning, Iran has refused to give in to the pressure and warned that any reckless move by Washington will see the United States of America “burn in a greater regional inferno.”

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said, “Any reckless move by Washington will only see the United States burn in a greater regional inferno.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that it will not hold back attacking Gulf neighbours and American assets everywhere if the United States crosses the red line by attacking critical infrastructure.

It further added that Iran will respond with attacks outside the region and deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas for “many years” if civilian facilities are attacked.

US President Donald Trump has given Iran a deadline of Tuesday 8:00 PM Eastern Time to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on power plants and bridges.