Trump Threatens Iran with 'Stone Age' Destruction Unless Strait of Hormuz Reopens

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader had asked for a ceasefire, while threatening to blast the country "back to the Stone Ages" if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened, as he prepared to deliver a primetime address to the nation on the war now in its fifth week. Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran's new Supreme Leader — the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening strikes of the conflict — had requested a halt to hostilities. "We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages," Trump wrote. The war, which the United States and Israel launched on February 28 under the name Operation Epic Fury, has already killed more than 3,000 people, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Trump also told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States would be "out of Iran pretty quickly" and could return for "spot hits" if needed.

Rubio warns NATO alliance faces fundamental reexamination Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as acting National Security Advisor, said on Tuesday that Washington could see the "finish line" of the conflict, though he cautioned it would not arrive immediately. Rubio made the remarks in an interview with Fox News Channel's "Hannity" program, saying there were messages being exchanged between Iran and the United States and the potential for a direct meeting between the two sides at some point. He also delivered a pointed warning about the future of the transatlantic alliance, saying the United States would have to reexamine its relationship with NATO after the war. European allies, including France and Italy, have refused to support offensive operations and denied the United States basing and overflight rights for strikes against Iran. „I do think, unfortunately, we are going to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while is still serving that purpose, or has it now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, they're going to deny us basing rights, and they're going to deny us overflight” — Marco Rubio via Reuters Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said separately on Tuesday that talks with Iran were ongoing and gaining strength, but that the United States was prepared to continue the war if Iran did not comply with its terms.

Iran strikes tanker near Qatar, threatens 18 U.S. companies Iran showed no sign of standing down on Wednesday, striking a tanker off the coast of Qatar and hitting Kuwait International Airport in early morning attacks, according to the Associated Press. Israel, meanwhile, launched its own strikes in Lebanon that killed at least five people in Beirut. Iran's Revolutionary Guards had on Tuesday issued a threat to target 18 major U.S. companies starting at 8 p.m. Tehran time, listing Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla, and Boeing among those named. When asked about the threat, Trump dismissed it, saying of Iran: "They don't have much left to threaten." General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that U.S. forces had struck key Iranian manufacturing and research sites and had destroyed over 150 Iranian naval vessels. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi acknowledged for the first time that Washington had been in direct contact about a possible ceasefire, telling Al Jazeera that he had received direct messages from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, though he said these did not constitute negotiations.

40% (increase) — Brent crude price rise since war began February 28

2026-02-28: 74, 2026-04-01: 104

Trump eyes Iran's oil as ceasefire terms remain unresolved The diplomatic picture remained unsettled, with the United States having presented Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan and Iran responding with a 5-point counterproposal that includes retaining sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump suggested on Tuesday that the war could wind down even without a formal deal, saying Iran needed only to be rendered unable to soon acquire a nuclear weapon. Trump also told reporters that the United States "will not have anything to do with" the Strait of Hormuz after the conflict, suggesting responsibility for keeping it open would fall to countries that rely on it for energy imports. "That's not for us. That'll be for France. That'll be for whoever's using the strait," Trump said. Experts cited by The Guardian described Trump's broader posture toward Iranian oil resources as reflecting a long-held view, with the president telling reporters he wanted to "take the oil in Iran" by seizing control of the Kharg Island export hub. Trump also told Reuters on Wednesday that he was considering announcing a possible U.S. withdrawal from NATO in his primetime address. Thousands of Marines and paratroopers have been ordered to the region in what analysts have described as possible preparation for an assault on Kharg Island, though reaching it by sea would require transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has threatened to mine.

The Strait of Hormuz has long been considered one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints. In peacetime, roughly one-fifth of global oil supply transits the waterway. Iran has periodically threatened to close the strait during past periods of tension with the United States, including during disputes over its nuclear program. The current conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, was subsequently appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026.

Ceasefire proposals as of April 1, 2026: U.S. plan (before: 15-point proposal, after: Includes demand for Strait of Hormuz reopening); Iran response (before: 5-point counterproposal, after: Includes retaining sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz)