8:06 AM EST, Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
Donald Trump posted a short message on the social media platform Truth Social: &#34;Tonight, an entire civilization will perish, never to be rebuilt.&#34; He set a deadline for Iran: either reach a deal by 8:00 PM that night or face the consequences.
This post immediately triggered a chain reaction worldwide—from ordinary residents in Tehran to trading floors on Wall Street, and emergency conference calls among European diplomats. This was the most dramatic act of extreme pressure in Trump's presidency. Furthermore, The New York Times commented that Trump's stunning threat to &#34;annihilate Iranian civilization&#34; carried his usual, nonchalant ruthlessness, which has become his preferred communication style. Such extreme rhetoric, which could even constitute war crimes as defined by international law, was casually posted on Truth Social, adorned with ads for bullet-shaped pens, patriotic hats, and Mar-a-Lago dinners.
With less than 90 minutes remaining before his self-imposed deadline, Trump posted again, announcing an agreement to suspend bombing operations against Iran for two weeks. According to Xinhua News Agency, Trump posted on social media that night: &#34;I agree to suspend bombing and attack operations against Iran for a period of two weeks.&#34;
From &#34;an entire civilization will perish&#34; to a &#34;two-week suspension,&#34; the interval was only ten hours and twenty-six minutes.
However, this brief U.S.-Iran ceasefire is less an end to the crisis than a temporary shelving of deeper conflicts. If both sides fail to reach an agreement, Washington and Tehran could once again edge toward the brink of confrontation in two weeks. Media analysis suggests that long-standing fundamental issues between the U.S. and Iran remain unresolved, with one of the core sticking points being the growing stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran's nuclear program.
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<h2>One Post, the World Holds Its Breath</h2>
When Trump's post appeared on screens, reactions around the globe initiated almost simultaneously.
In Iran, many residents began preparing for power and gas outages. According to The Wall Street Journal, some dug out old camping stoves and refilled fuel tanks.
Less than 30 minutes after the post, according to information from Arab officials cited by the same media outlet, Iranian officials informed Egypt that Tehran had severed direct contact with U.S. negotiators. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran also immediately issued a warning: if the United States crosses the &#34;red line,&#34; Iran will &#34;no longer exercise restraint,&#34; and listed Saudi Aramco, the Yanbu oil facilities, and the UAE's Fujairah oil pipeline as potential targets.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was reading this news when Israeli air raid sirens sounded, and he took shelter in his home's air-raid bunker. Amidst the sirens, he stated: &#34;I tend not to take President Trump's statements literally. I hope he means to destroy the regime, not Iranian civilization.&#34;
Meanwhile, at 9:00 AM EST, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine joined the daily video conference with Commander of the U.S. Central Command General Brad Cooper. Military planners had reportedly been preparing potential strike plans against Iran's energy infrastructure and had pulled up a target list already vetted by military lawyers.
However, the actual scale of this list was far smaller than Trump's description of &#34;every power plant in Iran will burn and explode.&#34; It is understood that each target had to meet legal requirements: a clear connection to Iran's military and security forces, and no excessive harm to civilians. The report stated that U.S. forces struck over 50 targets near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz that evening, but did not bomb oil infrastructure.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated: &#34;The entire Department of Defense obeys the President's orders and will firmly execute his military objectives.&#34;
<h2>Wall Street: One Eye on the Screen, One Eye on Truth Social</h2>
For the market, this day had a specific rhythm—it wasn't dominated by battlefield news like traditional geopolitical conflicts, but followed almost entirely the fluctuations of Trump's every social media post.
According to a review by Wallstreetcn: Over the past 12 hours, the market reacted violently to every statement, tweet, or media report:
<blockquote>
Pre-market US stocks: As Trump's deadline of 8:00 PM EST on the 7th approached, the threatening rhetoric pushed oil prices up by over 3%.
Early US trading: News broke that Iran was no longer communicating directly with the U.S. Subsequently, U.S. stocks widened their declines in early Tuesday trading, with the Nasdaq 100 Index falling by 1.5%, and crude oil prices moving higher.
Mid-day US trading: U.S. media cited sources familiar with the matter indicating that progress had been made in U.S.-Iran negotiations in the past 24 hours, leading to a pullback in oil prices.
Late US trading: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced he had requested Trump to postpone the deadline by two weeks. The three major U.S. stock indices narrowed their losses again, with the S&amp;P and Nasdaq narrowly closing higher.
After-hours US stocks: Trump extended the deadline for Iran negotiations, stating Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz. WTI crude oil futures expanded their decline, while S&amp;P stock index futures and Dow futures widened their gains to 1.7%.
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Peter Boockvar, Chief Investment Officer of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, described the feeling: &#34;It's dizzying. One eye on the trading screen, the other on Trump's Truth Social page.&#34;
During this period, Citigroup activated emergency protocols similar to those during presidential elections, suspending minor code updates for trading tools and other operations that might slow system performance.
Communication groups for tech investors and corporate executives also exploded after Trump's posts. Former Trump advisor and current business consultant Bryan Lanza, while on vacation, received numerous inquiries from clients in the energy and financial sectors. He urged all parties to remain calm, believing Trump would not actually follow through on his threats.
Overall, the consensus on Wall Street was similar to many previous Trump-style deadlines: it was seen as a negotiation tactic rather than a prelude to actual action.
<h2>Supporters Waver, Allies Speak Out Unusually</h2>
Pressure came not only from the market but also from within Trump's political circle.
According to reports, some White House officials privately expressed unease about the President's posts, believing his excessive focus on foreign affairs was diverting attention from domestic issues, which were key to winning public support.
On social media, online media personality Tim Pool, with over 2 million followers, said in an interview: &#34;He's trying to appear threatening and crazy.&#34; He warned that if Trump failed to deliver, &#34;we're going to see the emperor has no clothes... this will be his last gamble.&#34;
European allies' criticism was more direct. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot publicly stated: &#34;A civilization cannot be erased.&#34; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump's closest European allies, also unusually criticized: &#34;A clear distinction must be made between the responsibility of a regime and the fate of millions of ordinary citizens. Iranian civilians must not, and should not, pay the price for the crimes of their leaders.&#34;
Pope Leo and actor Ben Stiller also called for an end to the escalation through their respective public channels.
<h2>Pakistan Offers a &#34;Step Down,&#34; Trump Accepts</h2>
The diplomatic turning point came in the afternoon.
According to The Wall Street Journal, just after 3:00 PM local time on April 7, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly urged Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks and pushed for a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, while simultaneously urging Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during that period as a gesture of goodwill. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt immediately responded: &#34;The President has been briefed on the proposal and will respond.&#34;
Trump subsequently told Fox News that the U.S. was in &#34;intense negotiations.&#34;
Throughout the afternoon, Trump and his core advisors held closed-door discussions in the Oval Office, listening to cost-benefit analyses from various parties.
According to Xinhua News Agency, at 6:32 PM EST that evening, Trump posted on Truth Social announcing the suspension of planned strikes: &#34;Provided that the Islamic Republic of Iran agrees to fully, immediately, and safely open the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend bombing and attack operations against Iran for a period of two weeks.&#34;
According to comprehensive reports from Xinhua News Agency, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran subsequently issued a statement confirming that two weeks of political negotiations would begin in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the United States, while also stating that Iran holds &#34;complete distrust&#34; of the U.S. side. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that both sides had agreed to an immediate ceasefire in all locations starting immediately and invited U.S. and Iranian delegations to Islamabad on April 10 for further negotiations.
<h2>After the Ceasefire: Fundamental Issues Remain Unresolved</h2>
The New York Times cited analysis suggesting that this short-term ceasefire might be a tactical success for Trump's extreme pressure tactics, but the fundamental disagreements left by the five-week war have not been resolved.
The list of issues is quite specific. Iran currently holds approximately 970 pounds of 60% enriched uranium—one of the nominal triggers for this war. The report points out that if negotiations ultimately fail to move it out of Iran, Trump will achieve less in a war &#34;costing billions of dollars a day&#34; than the Obama administration's 2015 nuclear deal. At that time, Iran exported 97% of its nuclear stockpile according to the agreement.
Furthermore, Iran has demonstrated the ability to sustain an asymmetric war despite enduring over 13,000 precision strikes—blocking oil shipments and launching cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure.
Cracks have also appeared within the United States. According to reports, some of Trump's early supporters have begun publicly accusing the President and Vice President Vance of violating their campaign promise to &#34;not let America sink deep into Middle Eastern quagmires.&#34;
Two weeks from now, when the ceasefire expires, no one can give a certain answer as to whether negotiations will make substantive progress. As Fontaine put it: &#34;Perhaps it will ultimately work. But it's also possible that when this war ends, the U.S. and the world will be in a worse position than before it began.&#34;
According to Xinhua News Agency, some U.S. officials have also expressed concerns: if Iran cannot fully meet Trump's demands, Washington and Tehran could once again edge toward the brink of confrontation in two weeks.
<h2>Ceasefire Terms: Iran's &#34;Ten-Point Plan&#34;</h2>
The achievement of the ceasefire does not mean the resolution of disagreements, and the real difficulties lie within the negotiation terms.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran announced a ten-point ceasefire plan submitted to the U.S. via Pakistan, with core contents including:
<ul>
<li>
The Strait of Hormuz must achieve &#34;controlled passage&#34; in coordination with Iran's armed forces, with Iran holding a dominant position;
</li>
<li>
Comprehensive withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from all bases and deployment points in the region;
</li>
<li>
Lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions against Iran, and revocation of relevant UN Security Council and IAEA resolutions;
</li>
<li>
Unfreezing of all of Iran's frozen overseas assets;
</li>
<li>
Recognition of Iran's right to uranium enrichment;
</li>
<li>
Full compensation for Iran's war losses based on assessment results;
</li>
<li>
Ending the war against all members of the &#34;Axis of Resistance&#34; and terminating Israel's military operations.
</li>
</ul>
According to CCTV News, an anonymous regional official also revealed that the ceasefire plan includes allowing Iran and Oman to charge transit fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran using these funds for post-war reconstruction. This would be the first time in history that a toll would be levied on this international waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a statement announcing that the Strait of Hormuz would achieve safe passage within two weeks, but did not provide a specific date for resumption. He emphasized in the statement that passage would be under the control of &#34;Iran's armed forces.&#34;
In response, Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, told The New York Times: &#34;Iran still controls the Strait of Hormuz, which was not the case before the war. I find it hard to believe that the United States and the international community can indefinitely accept Iran controlling this critical energy artery. This would be a worse outcome than before the war.&#34;
Fontaine also pointed out that Iran's ten-point plan &#34;reads like Iran's pre-war wish list,&#34; and that Trump's agreement on the evening of April 7 to use it as a basis for negotiation comes even though just weeks prior, he was demanding Iran's &#34;unconditional surrender.&#34;
<h2>Trump's Extreme Rhetoric Draws Criticism: The World Increasingly Views the U.S. as &#34;Mentally Unstable and Dangerous&#34;</h2>
The New York Times commented that Trump's stunning threat to &#34;annihilate Iranian civilization&#34; carried his usual, nonchalant ruthlessness, which has become his preferred communication style. Such extreme rhetoric, which could even constitute war crimes as defined by international law, was casually posted on Truth Social, adorned with ads for bullet-shaped pens, patriotic hats, and Mar-a-Lago dinners.
In the eyes of the President and his supporters, this is all part of Trump's chaotic negotiation style, aimed at concluding the conflict he orchestrated and persuading Tehran to open the Strait. Some presidential advisors even believe that Trump's escalating rhetoric is a negotiation strategy, indicating he is more inclined to find a way out of the war rather than actually launch a devastating attack.
However, this &#34;impulsive and unpredictable&#34; leadership style is facing unprecedented scrutiny. Nuclear conflict historian Alex Wellerstein stated that even if the threat is not ultimately carried out, such violent rhetoric damages the U.S.'s credibility as a negotiator and its international standing, **making the world increasingly view the United States as &#34;mentally unstable and dangerous,&#34; rather than a &#34;reliable partner.&#34;
Criticism within the United States has also surged. Right-wing podcast host Tucker Carlson said the President's Easter message &#34;ruined the holiest day of Christianity&#34; and was &#34;disgusting on every level.&#34; He bluntly stated that such a threat to use U.S. military force to destroy civilian infrastructure of another country is a &#34;war crime, a moral crime against the people of that country.&#34;
Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent also posted on X: &#34;Trump thinks he's threatening Iran into annihilation, but now America is in danger. If he tries to eradicate Iranian civilization, the United States will no longer be seen as a force for global stability but as a purveyor of chaos—effectively ending our status as a global superpower.&#34; Even some congressional Republicans, such as Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, said they &#34;hope and pray President Trump is just bluffing.&#34;
Although Trump has followed similar &#34;scripts&#34; before—reaching some agreement and declaring victory through escalating threats—his escalating violent rhetoric reveals a sense of frustration that he failed to achieve his goals through the previously postponed deadline for bombing infrastructure.

From threatening that "an entire civilization will perish" to a "two-week ceasefire," Donald Trump’s dramatic reversal took only ten hours and twenty-six minutes. During this period, global markets and oil prices swung violently with his every post. However, beneath the temporary ceasefire, the fundamental issues between the U.S. and Iran remain unresolved. Meanwhile, Trump’s repeated extreme rhetoric has drawn criticism: the world increasingly views the United States as "mentally unstable and dangerous."

From Shock to TACO: Trump’s 12 Hours That Shook the World