US President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to end “47 years of extortion, corruption, and death” in Iran even as the United States and Israel targeted Iranian infrastructure and energy sites ahead of the Tuesday deadline.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump said on Truth Social.
The remark comes after the US and Israel unleashed fresh strikes on Iran — aimed at infrastructure and energy plants — roughly twelve hours ahead Trump’s deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face destruction of its infrastructure.
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“Now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end,” Trump’s social media post read.
The strikes also targeted Kharg Island, key Iranian oil hub home to major oil terminal considered to be the country’s economic lifeline.
The island in the Persian Gulf handles roughly 90 per cent of the Iran’s oil exports.
The latest attacks targeted at least two bridges, a key highway, apart from residential quarters. A residential building in the Shahriar city was hit by an explosive projective, killing at least nine people. Fifteen others were said to be injured.
Also Read: Kharg island attacked: Iran’s ‘crown jewel’ targeted in fresh US strikes
Following the attacks, the Israeli military said it completed the wave of strikes on Iran’s infrastructure sites.
Attacks after Trump’s several delayed deadlines
The latest attacks on the Iranian infrastructure comes after Trump’s several reminders of an impending attacks by April 6, if Tehran refuses to cut a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He then pushed back the deadline by another 24 hours to Tuesday.
Trump’s previous deadline was for March 23, but that shifted several times as the President oscillated between threats, announced delays and claims that Washington was in talks with Tehran or claiming that the Iranian regime was calling for a ceasefire.
Iran has reiterated its rejection to Trump’s ceasefire proposal, demanding guarantees and compensation for wartime losses, apart from several other demands to arrive at peace talks.
“They’ll have no bridges. They’ll have no power plants. They’ll have no anything,” Trump had warned. The US president has extended previous deadlines but suggested the one set for 8 pm on Tuesday was final.
Iran’s response
After the latest barrage of aerial attacks, the response in Iran was varied.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards or the IRGC threatened to deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas if the US crossed Tehran’s “red lines”.
“Our response will go beyond the region,” the IRGC said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants, hours before the expiration of Trump’s deadline.
