As the deadline set by US President Donald Trump to Iran to agree a deal nears, he has posted a stark message on his social media warning that a civilisation could die tonight.

The US President had set a deadline of 8:00 pm EDT Tuesday (00:00 GMT Wednesday) for military action targeting Iran's infrastructure such as bridges and power plants.

He said in the latest post in Truth Social: "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!"

Iranian officials have rejected a temporary ceasefire proposal and instead presented their own demands, described by a US official as “maximalist”.

With no de-escalation in sight, the world is jittery over what will happen tonight. The Gulf states are particularly worried that their facilities could become targets for Iran.

Meanwhile, the US struck military targets overnight on Iran’s strategic Kharg Island — from which almost all the country’s oil is exported — according to a US official, who added the strikes did not target oil facilities.

Earlier, speaking at a tense news conference, Trump said Iran could be “taken out in one night” if no agreement acceptable to Washington is reached before the deadline, adding that U.S. military action could target critical national infrastructure.

“They’re going to have no bridges. They’re going to have no power plants,” Trump said, warning that Iran could be pushed “back to the Stone Ages” if it does not comply. He added that “the entire country can be taken out in one night — and that night might be tomorrow night.”

The deadline has intensified fears across global energy markets and diplomatic circles, with the focus squarely on whether Tehran will permit what Trump described as “free traffic of oil” through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping corridor through which a significant share of the world’s crude exports pass.

Trump said any deal must include unrestricted oil transit and be fully acceptable to Washington, while expressing guarded optimism that what he called “reasonable” Iranian leaders were still negotiating in good faith.