The quote is chilling. Even for Donald Trump’s standards, known for this kind of provocative statements. “An entire civilization will disappear tonight, never to rise again,” the American president asserted on his social network, Truth Social, this Tuesday, April 7th, referring to Iran. This threat (somewhat softened in the following message) should be carried out if Tehran does not meet Washington’s demands before this Tuesday, April 7th at 8:00 pm (Wednesday 8th, 2:00 am in France), the deadline set by Trump.
To recap, this was first addressed to Iran on March 26th. It was supposed to expire on April 6th, but the White House tenant eventually granted an additional day to the leaders of the Islamic Republic to meet his requests, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Eight bridges targeted by Israel
So, this April 7th day unfolded in fear of a major escalation in the war in the Middle East, which could see the United States deliberately target Iranian civilian infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges. Indeed, even before the ultimatum’s deadline tonight, airstrikes targeting Iranian roads and bridges took place today. But this time by Israel.
The information was relayed by Ha’Aretz in its live updates, Tel Aviv’s media reporting statements from Benjamin Netanyahu. “We are crushing the Iranian terrorist regime with increasing force. Yesterday, we destroyed transport planes and dozens of helicopters. Today, we attacked the railways and bridges used by the Revolutionary Guards,” the Israeli Prime Minister affirmed on April 7th. Eight bridges were reportedly targeted, according to information revealed by the Israeli Defense Forces, despite the Israeli army emphasizing that their attacks were not aimed at harming the civilian population.
Meanwhile, the United States targeted the Kharg Island on Tuesday, located in the Arabian-Persian Gulf. According to information from The Washington Post, obtained from anonymous sources, “the strikes targeted military sites, including runways and bunkers, but not the region’s oil infrastructures.” This detail is crucial, as Kharg is a crucial point in the Iranian oil industry, with about 90% of Tehran’s crude oil exports passing through it. So far, the region had been spared from American bombings.
This military action aligns with Washington’s strategy of weakening the Islamic Republic militarily. But what will happen tonight if Tehran (as it seems according to the latest rumors) does not respond positively to the White House’s demands? Seemingly confirming Trump’s statements, J.D. Vance stated on Tuesday that “the Iranians must know that we have tools in our arsenal that we have not yet decided to use,” reported by Middle East Eye from London. Additionally, the American vice president declared that “the president of the United States can decide to use them, and he will if the Iranians do not change their behavior.”
These statements even raised the possibility of the United States using nuclear weapons. However, this option was dismissed shortly after on the White House’s X account, explaining that “nothing Vance said implies that.”
