US President Donald Trump has threatened to ‘blow up the entire Iran’ if Tehran cannot reach a peace deal with Washington before his deadline expires on Tuesday. If Trump — who has threatened to attack infrastructure that is vital to Iranian civilians– proceeds with his threat, it could constitute war crimes. Tehran has also warned of retaliation with similar attacks against infrastructure in Israel and the Gulf states.
The warning comes as the US, Iran and a group of regional mediators are discussing terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, according to an Axios report.
What Trump said
In a series of interviews with American media outlets, Trump said if no peace deal is reached with Iran in the next 48 hours, “we’re blowing up the entire country.”
“There is a good chance, but if they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there,” he said, according to Axios and Fox News.
The president claimed Iran “has been decimated, decimated. And every day is going to get worse.”
“Every day they’re gonna have to build more bridges, and they’re gonna have to build more power plants and more everything else,” he told ABC News. “There’s been no country that’s ever taken a pounding like that.”
The US commander-in-chief also dismissed concerns over the massive loss of civilian lives with his actions, saying he thinks people who oppose their government would support such strikes to weaken the regime. “They are living in fear. They are afraid we are gonna leave in the middle of the war, but we are not going to leave,” he told Axios.
Truce Unlikely
Over the last two weeks, Washington and Tehran have held indirect talks through Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey to try to reach a ceasefire deal in return for opening the Strait of Hormuz, but there has been no significant progress.
Per the Axios report, the mediators are not very optimistic that a deal could be reached soon but said they will work to the last minute to negotiate at least a partial agreement to delay Trump’s ultimatum.
Trump’s Threat
Trump has threatened to destroy infrastructure that is vital to Iranian civilians if he is unable to reach a deal with their leaders.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***kin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.
Iran’s Warning
In response to Trump’s ultimatum, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, fired back, saying, “Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family” and accusing Trump of “following Netanyahu’s commands.”
Ghalibaf also called for “respecting the rights of the Iranian people and ending this dangerous game.”