President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat Monday to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure by Tuesday night if the country doesn’t cave to his demand, but in doing so, he may very well strengthen Iran’s resolve, while at the same time, further isolate the United States on the global stage, MS NOW editor and columnist Zeeshan Aleem argued on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, Trump gave Tehran until 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday to grant unrestricted access for U.S.-aligned vessels to the Strait of Hormuz – a critical shipping waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil trade flows – or face the destruction of its civilian infrastructure, including energy plants, water treatment facilities and bridges, actions that would likely constitute war crimes.
The president doubled down on that threat Monday, warning that the entirety of Iran could be “taken out” in a single night.
Were Trump to follow through on his threat, however, Tehran would likely be less likely to cave to Trump’s demand, and potentially be more empowered than before, Aleem argued.
“Even if Trump does order a massive attack on civilian infrastructure, the odds that it will make Tehran budge on opening up the Strait of Hormuz are slim,” Aleem wrote in an analysis published Tuesday on MS NOW.
“Historically, the use of air power in this fashion causes the civilian population to side with a government, even one it dislikes, against a dangerous foreign intruder. Iran’s government would be a political beneficiary of such a dynamic. And Trump’s mix of bluffing, extending and disappearing deadlines and sudden attacks means Tehran now refuses to trust the U.S. will keep a temporary ceasefire.”
With Trump’s deadline looming, the Trump administration reportedly launched an attack Tuesday morning on Iran’s Kharg island, a major oil hub for the Middle East nation. The attack, according to Axios’ Barak Ravid, was isolated to “military targets,” raising questions about the Trump administration’s past statement of having “totally obliterated every military target” on the island back in mid-March.
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