US President Donald Trump has threatened in a profanity-filled post on social networks that he will strike more of Iran's critical infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened by tomorrow, the British newspaper “Telegraph“ writes, BTA reported.
Iran took control of this vital sea route at the beginning of the conflict and allows only ships from friendly countries to pass, the publication points out. Trump had previously given Tehran a 10-day deadline to agree to a deal to end the war and open the strait. However, yesterday he extended this deadline until “Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.“ in a social media post and insisted that a deal with Tehran could still be done today.
Trump has vowed to destroy "all power plants" and bridges in Iran if the country does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Telegraph reports. He said the Iranian people were "living in hell" and wants the US to strike the country's civilian infrastructure.
The obscene threat, which was published hours after Pope Leo XIII called on countries around the world to choose peace, underscores the growing tension surrounding the conflict, as there is no sign that Tehran and Washington are close to reaching an agreement, the “Washington Post“ wrote.
Trump's threat also caused further confusion among US allies, as he has sent a series of contradictory messages about his plans in the past week, the publication said. Early last week, he called on other countries to help open the sea route, and a few days later he implied that the US was not responsible for opening it.
Human rights experts warn that possible attacks on civilian infrastructure would violate international laws of armed conflict, the “Washington Post“ wrote. Power grids, as well as water facilities and bridges, are examples of “dual-use” infrastructure that is used by civilians but also relied on by the military for its operations, the newspaper notes. Although international law in many cases limits the possibility of attacks on these sites, the United States is increasingly targeting them, experts note.
The Trump administration has repeatedly promised that the war would be over by now, but more than five weeks after the start of the US-Israeli strikes, the president has still not been able to set clear terms for ending the conflict, writes the “Los Angeles Times“.
The Islamic Republic's stockpile of enriched uranium remains buried underground and under Iranian control, the publication points out. And the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already led to a rise in energy prices around the world, raising fears of an impending oil shock, the newspaper added.
Some US politicians reacted with alarm and questioned the US president's mental state after the publication of Trump's threat, the Guardian newspaper reported.
Marjorie Taylor Green, a former staunch Trump ally who is now his critic, said that any official in the Trump administration who claims to be a Christian should "ask God for forgiveness". "I know all of you, and I know him, and he's crazy, and you're all complicit. "I'm not defending Iran, but let's be honest about all this," she wrote in an op-ed for "Ex".
Democratic Congressman Jake O'Kinkle, a U.S. Marine veteran, told "Fox News Sunday": "Iran realizes that control of the strait is actually even more strategically important to them than developing nuclear weapons." "Strategically speaking, this war is a failure," he added.