Fox News's Jennifer Griffin reported Tuesday, citing a U.S. official that the U.S. targeted Iran's Kharg Island, hitting bunkers, radar station, and ammunition storage. / Video Image[/caption]
Genocide announced by an American president? What did he mean by "a whole civilization will die tonight"?
Those paid the big bucks to deliver thoughtful analysis were flummoxed.
Iran had rejected proposals put forward by the U.S., and Trump in turn shut down a 10-point plan from Teheran on Monday, saying it was "not good enough."
Earlier Tuesday, Trump declined to comment on the impasse.
“I can't tell you, because right now we're in heated negotiations," the president told Fox News.
Then later at about 6: 30 pm EST, he posted:
Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
It was Trump's post to Truth Social on Tuesday morning that had media in an apocalypse now frenzy and which may well have brought the intended result:A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!
The American's Spectator's Scott McKay noted in a post to social media:It's long been said that you should take Trump seriously rather than literally. So when he talks about taking out a whole civilization, understand what he means.
Talk to Iranian dissidents and particularly Iranian expatriates and they will often call themselves Persians rather than Iranians. They reject Iran as a separate civilization that has been imposed on Persia by the Twelver Shia death cult the ayatollahs represent.
So when Trump talks about wiping out a civilization, he's signaling that tonight's airstrikes will be aimed at crippling the regime/imposed civilization in that country and giving the people the opportunity to finish it off.
All of that said, my guess is what he's really going to do is seal off the southern coast of Iran from the rest of the country so that they can't affect the Srrait of Hormuz. And he might very well either take out Kharg Island (we're bombing it now) or send in the Marines to occupy it.
Without the oil revenue flowing through Kharg Island that regime can't exist for much longer. It is their economic jugular vein.
He's talking about ending their regime and the ideology they espoused. Much in the way you could say Nazi Germany was a civilization imposed on Germany, or the Soviet Union was a civilization imposed on Russia.
Now, that's very ambitious and whether he can carry it off is a question.
But he isn't talking about genocide. He's talking about regime change in a way designed to get the most attention he can.
The Epoch Times reported: "Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on April 7 that the paramilitary group would attempt to block the United States and its allies from obtaining oil and gas from the Middle East 'for years' if the U.S. military launches strikes on the country’s infrastructure ahead of a Tuesday evening deadline." The Wall Street Journal reported: "The House Democratic leadership called for lawmakers to return to Washington immediately to hold a vote to end the Iran war. The statement, signed by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and other top House Democratic lawmakers, said President Trump is 'completely unhinged' and that a vote is necessary to stop the president before he 'plunges the country into World War III.' " A bipartisan War Powers Resolution opposing the war in Iran previously failed by a 212-219 vote in the House in March, as lawmakers largely voted along party lines. The House is currently out of session until Monday. A good thing? But no discussion about the Iran regime would be complete without taking a trip back in time Does anyone remember what Hillary Clinton said while running for president? “If president I would attack Iran …. We would be able to totally obliterate them.”