US President Donald Trump has not signed off on a proposal drafted by countries calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump is prone to apocalyptic language, but has never used it to this degree in the war with Iran. He has threatened “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran capitulates. The U.S. president has a track record, in both politics and business, for ratcheting up the pressure immediately before a deadline to make a deal. He seeks the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is resistant because it is their greatest leverage.
Before threatening to kill the entire civilization (which would only be possible with the very, very unlikely use of a nuclear weapon), Trump said he would target Iran’s power plants and bridges. This would involve a combination of precision strikes using fighter aircraft and guided missiles, and attacks from B-52 aircraft which can carry thousands of pounds of explosive ordnance. It would be an effort to violently push the regime into capitulation. While the top echelon of the regime has been killed, it still leads the country — with no signs yet that it is about to crack.