Iran war live: Trump weighs ‘big decision’ on Iran, tanker hit in Hormuz

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with sweeping destruction since launching the joint military campaign with Israel on February 28.Here are six notable instances where he has targeted Iran, its vital infrastructure, or its population with warnings of large-scale devastation:March 21: ‘Obliterate’ power plantsTrump gave Iran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to “hit and obliterate” its power plants, beginning with the largest.April 1: Back to the ‘Stone Ages’In a televised address, Trump said Iran would be taken back to the “Stone Ages” if it failed to reach an agreement, while threatening further attacks on its electricity grid.April 5: Iran would ‘face hell’Trump issued another deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, threatening attacks on bridges and power plants and warning Iran that it would “face hell”.April 6: Country ‘taken out in one night’Trump said, “The entire country can be taken out in one night” and outlined a plan under which every bridge would be “decimated” and every power plant left “burning” and “exploding”.April 7: ‘A whole civilisation will die’Trump warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Tehran rejected his demands.September 17: ‘Do I want to annihilate them?’Trump again raised the possibility of destroying the Iranian government. “Do I want to go in and annihilate them, or do I not?” he told Axios. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on September 2, 2026 [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]