(Bloomberg) — The US attacked military targets across Iran’s Kharg Island as President Donald Trump reiterated his threat to unleash a massive new bombing campaign if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal to end the war.
US forces early Tuesday struck sites similar to those that were hit in a round of attacks last month, but did not target energy infrastructure on the island, which is a key oil export hub.
Trump followed those strikes by pressing Iran to make an agreement before his Tuesday 8 p.m. deadline, saying that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if that does not occur.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump posted on social media.
He also held out the possibility of an agreement, saying new Iranian leaders with “different, smarter, and less radicalized minds” could reach a deal. “We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World,” he added.
Trump’s comments — combined with the strikes — heightened the suspense about how the president will handle his self-imposed deadline.
On Sunday, Trump vowed to destroy energy facilities and power plants in Iran if a deal wasn’t reached by late Tuesday, New York time. Attacking civilian infrastructure is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
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