Trump's threat shows that his options are limitedpublished at 23:32 BST 7 April

23:32 BST 7 April

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

Donald Trump’s phrase that "a whole civilisation will die tonight" unless a deal is reached are not the kind of words you would expect to hear from the US president or the leader of any country that purports to conduct itself by the usual international norms.

These are not just words - they have come from the president of the United States.

Trump has various options, and frankly none of them are attractive.

This is a situation where the president has come up against the limits of his own power.

These techniques of threat, of bluster, have worked in different ways in the past. But he's dealing with a regime that doesn't seem that concerned if they die, and they're certainly not concerned if their own people die.

And they believe that their capacity for suffering pain is greater than America's, and that they essentially have got the Americans on the run even though it's going to cost them something.

Reports of the peace plan put forward by the US suggest it's essentially a bucket list of everything that Israel and the US have demanded of the Islamic Republic over many years.

Iran has said they want a permanent ceasefire before they will do any sorts of deals and they also want their positions to be recognised.

Right now, the two sides are way apart.

Among the voices condemning Trump for his threat against Iranian "civilization" and the ongoing US airstrikes are some of his long-time allies in the Republican party.

Georgia Congressman Austin Scott, who serves on both the House Armed Services committee and the intelligence committee, told BBC News that Trump's comments will do little to stop the fighting.

"The president's comments are counter-productive and I do not agree with them," said Scott.

Texas Republican Nathaniel Moran posted on X that he takes issue with Trump's threat.

"Our nation has always conducted military operations for just causes and through just and moral means. This must continue in the future; otherwise we forfeit our legitimacy to lead the world," Moran wrote.

"So, let me be clear: I do not support the destruction of a 'whole civilization.' That is not who we are, and it is not consistent with the principles that have long guided America."

Trump has also faced criticism from notable conservative voices in the media, including Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Candace Owens and Joe Rogan.

Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who split with Trump after building her political career as a Trump loyalist, called his latest threat "insane" and called for him to be removed from office.

"We cannot kill an entire civilization," she wrote on X. “This is evil and madness.”

Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center who quit over Trump decision to attack Iran, says Trump risks America's reputation if he decides to target civilian infrastructure.

"Trump believes he is threatening Iran with destruction, but it is America that now stands in danger," he posted on X.

"If he attempts to eradicate Iranian civilization, the United States will no longer be viewed as a stabilizing force in the world, but as an agent of chaos—effectively ending our status as the world’s greatest superpower."

Americans visiting Washington DC from around the country have given their reaction to Trump's warning that "a whole civilisation will die tonight" if Iran does not capitulate and re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

"It's very concerning to put the public in an alarming state," says one woman.

Another man says, "I think it's been a long-time coming. It's inevitable."

Is Trump considering an off-ramp?published at 22:09 BST 7 April

22:09 BST 7 April

Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent

President Donald Trump may be considering an off-ramp to deescalate the war with Iran.

The White House said on Tuesday that Trump was "aware" of a proposal by Pakistan that Trump extend his deadline by two weeks to pave the way for a temporary ceasefire. His proposal, posted on social media, includes requests for a two-week ceasefire and opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and would be followed by talks for a permanent end to the war.

Trump declined several times in talks with reporters on Tuesday to offer details on the US-Iran talks. He said the countries are involved in "heated negotiations."

Trump has given Iran until 20:00 eastern time (0100 BST) to reach a deal, or face an attack that he said would destroy the country's bridges and power plants. Trump also warned Tuesday that "a whole civilisation might die" if Iran doesn't agree to a deal.

The social media post sparked a backlash. It also underscored how much pressure Trump faces as he pushes for a deal and weighs whether or not to follow through with his threat to escalate the war.

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Soon after the sirens sounded in Bahrain tonight an eery calm descended over much of the capital Manama.

Some residents of high rise buildings have been warned to expect power outages, while the US Embassy has ordered all Americans to shelter in place.

Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet. Like its neighbours, it has been subjected to nightly bombardments by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles, a small portion of which get through the island's air defences.

But Iran has threatened to hit the Arab Gulf states with devastating force if Donald Trump goes through with his threat to "bomb it back to the Stone Age".

Its retaliation is expected to target power generation, desalination plants and other civilian infrastructure up and down the Gulf.

In Qatar today a Foreign Ministry briefing for the international media was packed, with one journalist saying the situation felt "apocalyptic".

Iran state media videos show demonstrations at infrastructure sitespublished at 21:55 BST 7 April

21:55 BST 7 April

By Joshua Cheetham

Verified videos and images showing dozens of people forming "human chains" at several bridges and energy sites in Iran have been shared by state media, following days of US threats to attack them.

BBC Verify has checked several clips which show Iranian government supporters gathered near the sites, including:

• Kazeroun power plant in south-western Fars province and Shahid Rajaee power plant in northern Qazvin province
• Bridges in the cities of Dezful and Ahvaz, in south-western Khuzestan province

Some authorities in Iran are encouraging Iranians to form "human chains" around power plants to deter threatened attacks from the United States.

Iran's deputy minister of youth and sports Alireza Rahimi posted a statement on X, saying the "Human Chain of Iranian Youths for a Bright Tomorrow" campaign was held "across the country" today.

Footage shared by Iran's official Fars state news agency and verified by the BBC showed what it said was a "Human chain in front of the Kazerun combined cycle power plant".

In a post on Telegram, an account for the Iranian government said: "Those who participated in this campaign unanimously condemned the American-Israeli aggression and declared their strong support for the country's armed and defence forces.

"In this movement, young people across the country considered any attack on the country's infrastructure to be a war crime and condemned these actions with one single voice."

In a separate post on X, Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian said that 14 million Iranians had signed up to "sacrifice their lives to defend Iran". Applicants can register by sending a text message to a designated phone number.

Trump later slammed the reported use of human shields around physical infrastructure.

"Totally illegal," Trump told NBC News. "They’re not allowed to do that."

Image source, Reuters

Some Democrats call for Trump's removalpublished at 21:34 BST 7 April

21:34 BST 7 April

Ione Wells
Reporting from Washington DC

A growing number of Democratic politicians in the US are calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked after Donald Trump's threats today.

It's a mechanism written into the US Constitution that allows the vice-president to take over from the president if he is unable to fulfil his duties.

Section 4 of the amendment covers a scenario where the president can't or won't declare his own inability himself. If the vice-president and the majority of the cabinet agree the president is unable to do the job, they can send a declaration saying so to the leaders of Congress, which the president can then challenge.

There's no sign that members of Trump's cabinet or Vice-President JD Vance are considering this, so it remains an unlikely scenario. But that hasn't stopped Democrats from calling for it.

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers have accused Donald Trump of "threatening genocidal war crimes" or being "too dangerous" to "have the nuclear codes".

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on social media: "This is a threat of genocide and merits removal from office. The President's mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted."

Separately, senior Democrats in the House of Representatives have called on Republicans to join with them in a "vote to end this reckless war of choice in the Middle East before Donald Trump plunges our country into World War III", calling Trump "completely unhinged".

"His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilisation shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response."

The House is currently on recess and not due to return until 14 April.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper agreed today "on the need for international efforts" in response to the escalating crisis in the Middle East, according the State Department.

According to US State Department principal deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott, the pair spoke about "the Iranian regime's ongoing attacks across the Middle East and the critical importance of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

He says: "The secretary and foreign secretary agreed on the need for international efforts to ensure shipping can move freely and energy supplies can reach global markets."

Image source, Reuters

Qatari armed forces say they have intercepted an incoming missile strike headed for their borders.

The country's Ministry of Defence wrote on social media that it neutralised the threat "by the grace of God".

The UAE's ministry of defence says its air defence systems are "actively engaging" with incoming missiles and drones.

In a graphic with English text shared on X, the ministry says that "the sounds heard across the country are the result of ongoing engaging operations of missiles and UAVs."

It continues: "The public is urged to remain calm and follow the safety and security instructions issued by relevant authorities".

People in Kuwait are being told to avoid going out from 12:00 midnight to 06:00 tomorrow morning.

The Ministry of Interior says in a statement shared on X that "citizens and residents are urged to stay at home and only go out if absolutely necessary".

It says that the "measure aims to maintain safety, support security operations, and ensure stability".

Image source, Reuters

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has called on US President Donald Trump to extend his deadline for two weeks "to allow diplomacy to run its course".

He also asks for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, he writes: "Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future.

"To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks.

"Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture.

"We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region."

Pakistan has acted as a mediator in the conflict, which you can read more about here

Davide Ghiglione
Reporting from Rome

Image source, Getty Images

Pope Leo has said that threats directed at Iran’s population are "unacceptable".

It comes hours hours after Trump said on social media that a "whole civilization will die tonight" unless Iran reaches a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The Pope, who is American, has increasingly voiced criticism of the Iran war.

Speaking to reporters as he left the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome, he referenced a threat earlier today against the Iranian people, calling it "truly unacceptable".

He also urged people around the globe to contact their political representatives and press for an end to the conflict.

Image source, Getty Images

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says only Donald Trump "knows where things stand and what he will do" as the deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz looms.

Her statement came in response to a request for clarification from the BBC about comments made by US President Donald Trump and his Vice President JD Vance earlier.

As we've reported, Trump said earlier "a whole civilisation will die tonight" unless Iran reaches a deal on opening the Strait of Hormuz - adding he doesn't want that to happen "but it probably will".

Vance then said the Iranian regime has to know the US has "tools in our tool kit that we so far haven't decided to use. The President of the United States can decide to use them and he will decide to use them if the Iranians don't change their course of conduct".

Responding to a claim on social media that Vance had suggested the US could use nuclear weapons, the White House said "literally nothing" Vance said had implied that was the case.

Asked by the BBC to clarify its stance on using nuclear weapons, the White House sent the following statement from Leavitt: "The Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States. Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do."

As we reported earlier, the US has carried out further strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, home to a major oil terminal.

Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency is reporting that "no damage was done to critical infrastructure" in the latest strikes.

Image source, Getty Images

Iranian foreign affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says a "civilized" country's "logic"will prevail over "brute force".

In a statement on X shared this afternoon, he writes: "The power of a "CIVILIZED" nation's culture, logic, and faith in its righteous cause will undoubtedly prevail over the logic of brute force."

He adds: "A nation that has every faith in the righteousness of its path shall harness all its capacities and capabilities to safeguard its rights and legitimate interests."

He shares it with the hashtag "IranWillWin".

Image source, NurPhoto via Getty Images

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is "deeply troubled" by recent threats around civilian population, says his spokesperson.

Whilst not mentioning the US president directly, remarks from Guterres's spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric come after Donald Trump said "a whole civilisation will die tonight," as the deadline he issued to Iran looms.

Dujarric says the UN secretary-general was concerned about comments "suggesting that entire civilian populations or civilisations may be made to bear the consequences of political and military decisions".

There is "no military objective that justifies the wholesale destruction of a society's infrastructure" or "the deliberate infliction of suffering on civilian populations," he adds.

Guterres also believes that war can end "when leaders choose dialogue over destruction" - a choice that "still exists".

At least 45 vessels have crossed Strait of Hormuz since Fridaypublished at 18:33 BST 7 April

18:33 BST 7 April

By Kayleen Devlin

At least 45 commercial ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since Friday, the latest tracking data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler shows.

The figures shared with BBC Verify show that, since the outbreak of the war on 28 February, 324 vessels have used the vital shipping lane for oil and gas exports.

The highest daily number was on 28 February itself, when 31 vessels transited the strait. The pre-war average was about 100 commercial vessels a day.

Separate analysis from maritime intelligence company Windward indicates more ships are travelling on the southern side of the strait, closer to Oman’s coastline.

Windward notes “multiple” vessels used this route between 2 and 5 April, including three Omani-operated ships.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has issued an "urgent warning" to vessels in the maritime space between Tyre and Ras Naqoura in Lebanon.

In a statement on X IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee claims there is Hezbollah activity that is putting vessels in danger, so they will take action.

Sharing an image of a mapped area, he tells anchored or sailing ships there to head north.