President Trump warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran doesn’t agree to his terms by 8 p.m. Eastern.
And on Monday, he outlined the U.S.’s plan for “total demolition” of Iran by midnight. “Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business — burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said during his news conference.
But nearly every time he threatens total destruction of the country, he adds some wiggle room in his next breath.
After warning today that a “whole civilization will die tonight,” he noted there are “smarter, and less radicalized minds” in Iran, suggesting “something revolutionarily wonderful” could happen. 🔎 Read Trump’s full post
And after talking about “total demolition” of Iran by midnight, destruction that would “take them 100 years to rebuild,” he suggested he would like to avoid complete destruction because of the long-lasting economic damage.
So, what will happen tonight? Here’s what we know:
Would Trump use nuclear weapons?: The White House says it is not considering using nuclear weapons against Iran, according to the AFP.
The deadline: The president has punted his deadline for Iran’s compliance on several occasions, adding time for more negotiations — but for the past day, he has leaned hard into this latest deadline.
Trump’s big demand: Trump wants the Strait of Hormuz, the vital passage for the world’s oil supply, to reopen.
Iran’s willingness: Iran has shown strong defiance toward the U.S.’s demands. Iran rejected the U.S.’s 15-point peace proposal on Monday.
Iran then offered its own 10-point plan, according to The New York Times. Its counterproposal demanded an end to attacks in Iran, an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon and all sanctions to be lifted. In return, it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz with an added tax of $2 million per ship. Trump described this proposal as “significant,” but “not good enough.”
Scenarios for tonight:
1. Trump could extend the deadline yet again.
2. The U.S. and Iran could reach a deal to avoid further fighting.
3. Trump could order limited strikes on Iran, not reaching the near-apocalyptic destruction he has threatened.
4. Trump could follow through with his threat and demolish Iran.
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