Iranian athletes respond to Trump's warning that 'a whole civilization will die tonight'

Former Iranian youth wrestling champion Sardar Pashaei, who now lives in the U.S., responded to Trump's threat in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"The Iranian regime still has a chance-and all the means necessary-to stop sacrificing its own people and bring an end to this 47-year catastrophe. It has had many opportunities in the past. Instead, it chose repression at home and conflict abroad. Today, the regime is effectively holding the Iranian people hostage, placing civilians in danger while claiming to act in their interest," Pashaei said.

"For decades, it has destroyed Iran's natural resources, built tunnels deep into mountains for missiles, and spent the country's wealth on drones and war-not on the wellbeing of its people. Above all, we must be clear: the Iranian people must never be the target of pressure or punishment. They have already suffered for decades under this regime.

"Responsibility for this crisis lies with the clerical establishment and the IRGC. For decades, chants of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' have been driven by the regime-not by the Iranian people, who have instead sought dignity, opportunity, and a normal life, yet have never been given a real choice through free and fair elections. The regime has already lost-both at home and on the global stage. The only remaining question is how much more suffering it will impose before it finally steps aside."

Iranian competition climber Elnaz Rakabi, who won bronze at the 2021 IFSC Climbing World Championship, shared a different perspective in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

"As an Iranian athlete, I cannot stay silent when language is used that speaks of the destruction of a nation as if millions of innocent lives are disposable. Any statement that suggests the collapse or destruction of Iran without recognizing the human cost is deeply dangerous. Iran is not just a regime. Iran is a people, a history, a civilization, and millions of human beings who have already endured decades of repression, fear, and suffering," Rakabi said.

"At the same time, the world must not ignore the truth that the Islamic Republic has spent decades oppressing its own people, crushing peaceful protests, and investing the country's wealth in ideology, militarization, and nuclear ambition instead of the wellbeing of its citizens.

"The people of Iran have repeatedly gone into the streets to demand freedom, dignity, justice, and the right to live a normal life, only to be met with bullets, prisons, executions, and fear. The Iranian people are not asking for violence. They are not asking for war. They are asking to be heard. They are asking for their country's resources to be spent on life, not destruction. They are asking for peace, dignity, and the right to determine their own future.

"That is why the destruction of a nation can never be the answer. The people of Iran are not collateral damage. They are not bargaining chips in political rhetoric or international conflict. They are human beings. A peaceful and democratic change in Iran would not only serve the Iranian people, but also the cause of human rights, regional stability, and global peace. So I ask: Is it really so difficult for those in power to choose peace over ideology, human dignity over political interest, and innocent lives over yet another cycle of violence?"

Trump has given Iran until 8 p.m. ET Tuesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes against its power plants and bridges. Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations has responded, rejecting a temporary ceasefire proposal and vowing "reciprocal measures."

"Iran will not stand idle in the face of such egregious war crimes," Iravani said. "It will exercise without hesitation its inherent right of self-defense, and will take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures."

Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston, an Iranian women's wrestler who competed for the U.S. and won a silver medal in the 1990 freestyle wrestling championships, later serving as a coach for Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said her "heart is heavy" after Trump's threat. 

"My heart is heavy for the beautiful people of Iran. Having fled my homeland as a child of war, I know the brave people of Iran have endured decades of corruption and oppression under the Islamic regime. War is complicated, but I hope for a regime change, not the destruction of this beautiful civilization and heritage," she said. 

Tehran will add Saudi Aramco oil facilities, as well as Yanbu and the UAE's Fujairah pipeline, to its target list should Trump follow through with his threats to attack Iran's energy infrastructure, Iran International reported.

The threats from Iran were first reported by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, citing a military source.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.