Trump’s ominous warning to Iran: Deal or ‘civilization dies tonight’

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It’s Tuesday. How did you place in your March Madness brackets?! I’ve continued my streak of correctly predicting the tournament winner without actually winning my bracket. Hey, I’ll take it!

Trump threatens Iran: ‘Whole civilization will die tonight’

Trump threatens Iran: ‘Whole civilization will die tonight’

Scenarios for tonight’s 8 p.m. EDT Iran deadline

Scenarios for tonight’s 8 p.m. EDT Iran deadline

Trump threatens to jail journalists over Iran sources

Trump threatens to jail journalists over Iran sources

GOP support of Iran war thins

GOP support of Iran war thins

Artemis II crew captures never-before-seen moon views

Artemis II crew captures never-before-seen moon views

Awkward silence during Trump’s Artemis II call

Awkward silence during Trump’s Artemis II call

⏲️ IN THE WHITE HOUSE

President Trump warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran doesn’t agree to his terms by 8 p.m. Eastern.

And on Monday, he outlined the U.S.’s plan for “total demolition” of Iran by midnight. “Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business — burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said during his news conference.

But nearly every time he threatens total destruction of the country, he adds some wiggle room in his next breath.

After warning today that a “whole civilization will die tonight,” he noted there are “smarter, and less radicalized minds” in Iran, suggesting “something revolutionarily wonderful” could happen. 🔎 Read Trump’s full post

And after talking about “total demolition” of Iran by midnight, destruction that would “take them 100 years to rebuild,” he suggested he would like to avoid complete destruction because of the long-lasting economic damage.

So, what will happen tonight? Here’s what we know:

Would Trump use nuclear weapons?: The White House says it is not considering using nuclear weapons against Iran, according to the AFP.

The deadline: The president has punted his deadline for Iran’s compliance on several occasions, adding time for more negotiations — but for the past day, he has leaned hard into this latest deadline.

Trump’s big demand: Trump wants the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage for the world’s oil supply, to reopen.

Iran’s willingness: Iran has shown strong defiance toward the U.S.’s demands. Iran rejected the U.S.’s 15-point peace proposal on Monday.

Iran then offered its own 10-point plan, according to The New York Times. Its counterproposal demanded an end to attacks in Iran, an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon and all sanctions to be lifted. In return, it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz with an added tax of $2 million per ship. Trump described this proposal as “significant,” but “not good enough.”

Scenarios for tonight:

1. Trump could extend the deadline yet again.

2. The U.S. and Iran could reach a deal to avoid further fighting.

3. Trump could order limited strikes on Iran, not reaching the near-apocalyptic destruction he has threatened.

4. Trump could follow through with his threat and demolish Iran.

💬 Follow today’s live blog

➤ HOW ARE OIL PRICES TODAY?:

Oil prices jumped this morning ahead of tonight’s deadline.

Specifically: “Prices for U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate were up more than 3 percent at $116 per barrel as of Tuesday. The price of international benchmark Brent crude was also up, though the increase was not as dramatic.” Read more

The Pentagon canceled this morning’s scheduled press briefing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No reason was provided.

➤ TRUMP THREATENS TO JAIL REPORTERS IF THEY DON’T GIVE UP IRAN SOURCES:

Trump is fixated on finding the “leaker” who spilled details of the downing of a U.S. fighter jet in Iran last week.

He suggested his administration would pressure the media to identify their source. “The person that did the story will go to jail” unless she or he identifies their source, he noted. Read more

What media outlet is he referring to?: Trump didn’t specify a news organization or a specific story.

➤ REPUBLICAN SUPPORT IS WANING: 

Some Republican lawmakers are growing wary about the conflict in Iran, reports The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi.

How so?: “The Iran operation is unfolding at a politically precarious moment for Republicans, as the midterm election season ramps up and segments of the MAGA base grow increasingly restless over a perceived drift away from the “America First” agenda. While Trump initially projected the operation would only last for four to five weeks, he has since escalated tensions — most notably by threatening strikes on Iran’s infrastructure over the weekend — and hasn’t ruled out U.S. boots on the ground, moves that risk a longer, more entangled conflict.”

Two legislative moves to watch:

1) There’s growing support for Congress to step in and assert its authority if the conflict extends beyond 60 days.

2) If the Trump administration requests additional funding for the war in Iran, it’s unclear whether it has the congressional support to get it.

Read more: ‘GOP patience with Iran operation growing thinner as Trump escalates tensions’

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a Trump ally-turned-foe, called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment after his social media post that declared “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran doesn’t agree to his terms.

And conservative commentator Tucker Carlson called Trump’s expletive-filled Easter post “vile on every level.”

The Wall Street Journal: Allies Fear They Are Tied to an Erratic U.S. and Now Have Nowhere to Turn

The New York Times: Hegseth Likens Easter Rescue of U.S. Airman to Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Hill: 5 takeaways from Trump’s news conference on Iran

The Atlantic: Three Things the Consensus Gets Wrong About the Iran War

Politico: Pentagon’s new plans in Iran give Trump a way out of war crime accusations

The Wall Street Journal: Why Did Trump Order an Attack on Iran’s Kharg Island?

The Washington Post: Trump says God supports U.S. cause in Iran war as he threatens wider bombing

Four astronauts went farther in space on Monday than any other human has been before.

They photographed parts of the moon that have never been seen before. They are spectacular.

📸 First-ever up-close images of the far side of the moon

📸 NASA’s full gallery of photos taken on the Artemis II mission

This is so sweet: The astronauts named a crater on the moon after mission commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll Wiseman, who died from cancer in 2020 at the age of 46.

NASA’s goal: NASA is hoping to send two astronauts on the moon in 2028.

➤ TRUMP CHATTED WITH THE ASTRONAUTS:

The president called into Artemis II to congratulate the crew. He even asked for their autographs.

The awkward silence: At one point during the call, neither Trump nor the astronauts spoke for an entire minute. The video has gone viral on social media. 🎥 Watch the clip

— Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law that allows Florida to label groups as  domestic terror organizations. It also allows for the removal of public university students accused of supporting them.

— Wisconsin and Georgia are holding elections today. What to watch

The Atlantic: The $97 Million Utah Warehouse ICE Bought for $145 Million: Trump wants industrial-size immigration jails, and money is no obstacle.

The Washington Post: What spending probes at DHS reveal about Noem’s time in office

The House and Senate are out. 🌴 President Trump is at the White House. Vice President Vance is in Hungary. (All times EDT) 

4 p.m. Trump participates in a policy meeting in the Oval Office.

4:30 p.m. NASA officials provide an update on the Artemis II mission. 💻 Livestream

7 p.m. Trump attends a dinner in the White House with the U.S. ambassador to India.

🍺 Celebrate: Today is National Beer Day!

Because you made it this far, I’ll leave you with this realistic dynamic between two cat siblings. I feel like most human siblings can relate, as well.

📺 Miss the previous issue of this newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video.

I love hearing from you — send your feedback, tips and favorite cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Check out more newsletters here. See you next time!

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