Trump's threat to destroy Iran sparks global condemnation; White House calls it a negotiation strategy.

Reuters reports that Donald Trump posted on social media today, stating: "Entire civilizations will be destroyed tonight, never to be recovered. I don't want this, but it's very likely to happen." These remarks appeared ahead of his 8:00 PM ET deadline for negotiations with Iran.

However, at 6:32 PM ET tonight, Trump announced that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

Prior to this, Trump's threats had sparked fierce global criticism. Democratic members of Congress called the president "completely out of his mind," while Iran's ambassador to the United Nations described Trump's threats as "extremely irresponsible" and "deeply shocking." Pope Leo XIV stated that threats against the Iranian people were "unacceptable."

Some Republicans also expressed concern, including former U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Greene, once one of Trump's strongest defenders, even hinted at the potential invocation of the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which allows the Vice President and Cabinet members to attempt to declare the President unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.

The Senate Republican Caucus posted on social media: "Finally a president willing to protect Americans."

Inside the White House, two anonymous officials revealed that Trump's fiery rhetoric was widely viewed as a negotiating tactic rather than a genuine intention to destroy Iran or use nuclear weapons.

"He creates leverage through unpredictability, wanting Tehran to blink first," one official said.

Trump has demanded that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping lane, and cease its support for armed proxies throughout the Middle East. Unless Iran complies, he warned that the U.S. military would strike Iranian bridges and power plants.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated: "As President Trump said, Iran must never have nuclear weapons, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs, as it means the oppressors are heading toward failure. If the Iranian regime understands the gravity of the current situation and reaches an agreement with the United States, greater destruction can be avoided."

Trump initially described the conflict as a "short-term operation" aimed at quickly resolving U.S. concerns, particularly preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Recently, he has vacillated between claiming "progress is ahead of schedule" and "we have already won," while simultaneously emphasizing that he will not stop until Iran is "completely defeated."

Aides said Trump's increasingly tough language reflects his desire to quickly end the unpopular war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid rising gasoline prices, risks to the U.S. economy, and uncertainty over whether the Republican Party can maintain control of Congress in the November elections. (Compiled by Hsu Jui-cheng) 2026-04-08