Iran Prepares for All Scenarios Following Trump's Warning of Global Annihilation

US President Donald Trump addressed the conflict in Iran from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington, DC, as tensions escalated in the region.

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Iran stated it was prepared for any eventuality after Trump warned that "a whole civilization will die" if the Islamic republic did not heed a looming deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz.

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Vice President JD Vance remarked in Budapest that the United States had tools "that we so far haven’t decided to use" against Iran, without providing further explanation, sparking speculation about potential actions.

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The White House later denied that Vance was alluding to nuclear weapons, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that "only the President knows where things stand and what he will do", leaving the situation unclear.

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Iran reported that the United States and Israel had begun striking key infrastructure, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirming attacks on railways and bridges he said were "used by the Revolutionary Guards".

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Trump had initially vowed to carry out the "complete demolition" of Iran’s critical infrastructure, particularly bridges and power plants, only if a deal was not reached by midnight GMT, setting a deadline for the Islamic republic.

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Hours before the deadline, the Israeli military said it had already completed a broad wave of strikes targeting "infrastructure sites" across Iran, escalating the conflict in the region.

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Trump wrote on Truth Social, elevating his ultimatum for Iran, stating that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again, I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will", leaving the meaning and implications of his threat unclear.

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Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said his government was prepared "for all scenarios", adding that "no threat is beyond our preparedness and intelligence", as the deadline loomed.

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Both Trump and Iran turned down a proposal touted by international mediators for a 45-day ceasefire, dashing hopes for a temporary reprieve from the conflict.

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Infrastructure attacks reported by Iranian authorities on Tuesday included a US-Israeli strike on a bridge outside the city of Qom and another on a rail bridge in central Iran that killed two people, causing widespread damage.

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A US-Israeli strike also shut down a key highway in northern Iran connecting the city of Tabriz with Tehran, according to regional authorities, disrupting transportation in the area.

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The Mizan news agency reported a strike on railway tracks in Karaj, outside Tehran, as the conflict continued to escalate in the region.

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University student Metanat, whose classmate was killed two weeks ago in an attack, expressed her fear and concern, stating that "death is not a joke" and that she felt "terrified and so should everyone else in the country".

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The UN’s rights chief decried the "incendiary rhetoric" in the Middle East war, warning that deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure was "a war crime", highlighting the humanitarian concerns in the conflict.

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Pope Leo called the threat against Iran’s population "truly unacceptable", saying that it was not only a question of international law but also "a moral question", emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

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At the UN Security Council, Russia and China vetoed a resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a text already diluted to remove the green light Gulf states had sought to use force to protect the key shipping lane.

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Iran has effectively blocked the waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally flows, since the start of the war on February 28, driving up global energy prices and causing economic concerns.

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Iranian pensioner Morteza Hamidi expressed his gloom about the future of the country, stating that he had seen Trump back down too many times to take his words seriously, and that "we are now numb to his threats".

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State media published photos purporting to show groups of Iranians forming human chains to protect power plants as the hours to the deadline ticked down, showcasing the human side of the conflict.

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Kuwait urged its citizens to remain indoors from midnight until 7:00 am, while Bahrain’s main port said it would be suspending operations starting early Wednesday, as a precautionary measure.

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Apart from the infrastructure attacks, strikes were reported on Kharg island, a critical hub for the Iranian oil industry, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency, although US media said the attacks were against military targets.

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A series of explosions was heard across Tehran, and Iranian media reported that 18 people, including two children, were killed in strikes in neighbouring Alborz province, adding to the human toll of the conflict.

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US-Israeli strikes "completely destroyed" the capital’s Rafi-Nia synagogue, local media reported, with the Israeli army later expressing regret for the "collateral damage", stating that it had been targeting a senior military commander, not the house of worship.

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Attacks on Saudi Arabia hit a petrochemical complex in a sprawling industrial area in the eastern city of Jubail, a witness told AFP, hours after similar installations in Iran were struck, highlighting the regional implications of the conflict.

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Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani warned that "this restraint cannot be expected to continue without limit", as Gulf states faced the brunt of Iran’s retaliatory attacks without responding.

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On the war’s Lebanese front, the Israeli military said it had completed deployment of ground troops along a "defence line" in the south, where it is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah, escalating the conflict in the region.

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The Israeli military urged all vessels in the maritime zone off the country’s south to immediately head north of the city of Tyre, warning that it would operate in the area, as the conflict continued to spread.