Donald Trump steps up his language on Iran again, saying on Truth Social that “a whole civilisation will die tonight”.

The US president says he does not want that outcome, but adds that it “probably will” happen. He makes the remark as a deadline he has referenced over the Strait of Hormuz approaches.

In the same post, Trump claims there has been “complete and total regime change” in Iran. He says “different, smarter, and less radicalized minds” could now take over.

He also tells followers that “who knows?” what happens next, and calls tonight one of the most important moments in the “long and complex history of the World”.

Trump goes on to say that 47 years of “extortion, corruption, and death” could finally end. He closes the message by saying: “God Bless the Great People of Iran!”