Fears over a dramatic escalation of tensions that could herald the start of World War III are widespread after Donald Trump warned that Iran could be wiped out “in one night” in a startling recent speech.
Concerns over Trump’s increasingly unpredictable, oft nonsensical rhetoric hit new heights yesterday when the POTUS appeared to flirt with the idea of nuclear war.
The US and Israel have been in conflict with Iran since the two countries launched joint strikes on February 28. In the opening salvos of the war, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed, along with multiple family members.
The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that Iran pose no military threat in the weeks following, and that the Middle Eastern country have effectively been beaten into complete submission.
Iran, however, continue to deny that they are negotiating with Trump over a peace deal, and have launched a series of retaliatory attack. They also maintain de facto control over the important Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route through which an estimated 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.
With an end to the conflict not nearly in sight, it appears Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with what he believed would be a relatively simple and swift undertaking.
At a speech at the White House yesterday (Monday, April 6), Trump threatened Iran by saying the entire country “could be taken out in one night.” He ominously added: “And that night could be tomorrow night.”
The warning comes prior to a deadline set by Trump for Tehran to reopen the aforementioned Strait of Hormuz.
The 79-year-old demanded an ‘acceptable’ deal by 20:00 Washington DC time today (Tuesday, April 7). According to the BBC, he threatened that should the deadline be missed, Iran could be pushed back to the ‘Stone Ages’.
“They’re going to have no bridges,” Trump said.
“They’re going to have no power plants.”
Naturally, people on social media are now speculating over the nature of Trump’s warnings, and what sort of destructive force could make his threats credible.
Some stated their belief that Trump might be indirectly revealing his intent to unleash nuclear weapons.
“The only way to take a country out in one night is with nukes. Remove this lunatic now before he burns the whole world down & starts a nuclear war,” one person wrote on X.
In perhaps his most terrifying post yet, Trump wrote today that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
What do you make of Trump’s words? Let us know in the comments.
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