Trump's new Iran threat: We'll see what happens

TT

Updated 20.52 | Published 19.17

          

          US President Donald Trump during the press conference at the White House. Photo: Mark                          Schiefelbein/AP/TT

Donald Trump repeats his threats to knock out "all of Iran", and says that it could happen as early as Wednesday night.

- They have until tomorrow. We'll see what happens, says the US president.

During a press conference at the White House, Donald Trump praised the US military, and not least the high-profile operation in which a downed American pilot was rescued after hiding in Iran for more than a day.

- It was a historic operation, he said.

However, at the beginning of the press conference, the president was more coy about the deadline of Tuesday evening that he has given Iran to open the closed trade route through the Strait of Hormuz. Only after 75 minutes did he say:

- They have until tomorrow. We'll see what happens. After tomorrow night they won't have anything left, no bridges, nothing. The Stone Age.

War crimes?

When asked if he was worried that this could involve American war crimes, he said:

- No, not at all. But I hope not to have to.

The president also dismissed the question of whether continued attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran would primarily affect the country's population.

- They would be willing to suffer through it to achieve freedom, Trump replied.

But he also said that he would not go as far as he would like and was about to repeat earlier words that he would like to take Iran's oil when he got into an argument about Venezuela.

What is stopping him, Trump told reporters earlier on Monday, is the American people.

- Unfortunately, they want us to go home. If I had the choice, I would take the oil and make a lot of money.

Journalists threatened

But Trump spent the longest time, and the most energy, on the rescue operation of the American pilot in Iran. According to the president, over 150 planes and helicopters participated in the rescue, which was carried out despite Iran knowing that the pilot was alive and in Iran.

Trump condemned the fact that this information had been leaked to the public, and he also threatened journalists with reprisals.

– We will go to the media company that released the information, and we will say “national security, give us (the information) or go to jail”.