UPDATE: Trump, on the ultimatum to Iran: “We can destroy an entire country in one night and that night could be tomorrow” | International
In breaking news, the following story has emerged from the international scene.
One day before the “definitive” deadline that Donald Trump has imposed on Iran to reach an agreement expires, neither side shows any signs of giving up. The American president insists that, if there are no changes, starting at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday in Washington (2:00 a.m. on Wednesday Spanish peninsular time) he can destroy Iran. “We can destroy the country in one night, and that night could be tomorrow,” he said at this Monday’s press conference. In turn, Tehran has rejected a draft plan because it begins with a temporary ceasefire, instead of a comprehensive peace agreement that resolves the conflict that is now 38 days old. Tehran has responded to the proposal, transmitted by Pakistan, by presenting another and underlining the “need for a permanent end to the war” through an agreement that includes guarantees that it will not suffer further aggression. It also proposes a protocol for safe traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions and compensation for damage from the bombings, according to the IRNA agency. In turn, Trump, elated after the rescue of the two crew members of an F-15 plane shot down by Iran, has described the Iranian counteroffer as a “significant step, but not enough.” The president has considered that the Iranian interlocutors “are negotiating in good faith,” but he has repeated his threat to destroy basic infrastructure for civilian use. Every power plant, every bridge, “will be decimated by midnight on Tuesday,” he promised in a press conference, if his deadline is met without news. The president has also noted his desire to take control of the Iranian oil sector, the great engine of that country’s economy. “To the winner, the spoils,” he proclaimed, citing a Roman saying that the winner of a battle had the right to take the loot. Trump. this Monday in Washington. AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL (EFE) That what he threatens represents a war crime does not concern him. “The war crime is allowing a sick country with insane leadership to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. In his statements, the president has once again threatened to take retaliation against a NATO that he considers has turned its back on Washington in this war. He has pointed out that the visit next Wednesday of the Secretary General, Mark Rutte, will not change his threat to remove the United States from the Alliance or, at least, drastically reduce its role as leader. “If you want to know the truth, it all started with Greenland. They didn’t want to give it to us, and I said: ‘Goodbye, good night.'” While the clock is ticking for the deadline to expire, Israel increases its attacks against civilian infrastructure: it has bombed South Paris again, the largest natural gas field in the world; a second petrochemical plant and three airports. There have been 34 deaths in Iran, including seven children, since Sunday night. The head of the Pakistani army, Asim Munir, was in contact “all night” with the US vice president, JD Vance; Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, trying to move forward with the agreement this Monday, before the expiration of the new deadline of the president of the United States, extended between insults and threats, according to Reuters. Tehran is aware of the power conferred on it by the selective closure of Hormuz. He is used to Trump’s bravado and continues to launch missiles and drones against a dozen countries. Together with its Houthi allies, in Yemen, and Hezbollah, in Lebanon, it has attacked the north, center and south of Israel in a few hours, as well as United States bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, has stressed that “negotiations are incompatible with ultimatums and threats of war crimes.” Baghaei has added that days ago he sent through intermediaries his response to the United States’ 15-point plan, which he described as “extremely ambitious, unusual and illogical.” Meanwhile, the third leg of the crossfire, Israel – who initiated it with Washington hoping to overthrow a regime that is still standing – wants it to continue and presses as if there were no parallel diplomatic channel. This Monday, he killed the intelligence chief of the Revolutionary Guard, Majid Jademi. The Israeli army describes him as “one of the main commanders” of the body that currently has the most control in Iran. He already killed his predecessor in office, Mohamad Kazemi, and his number two, Hassan Mohaqeq, in the previous war with Iran, last June. The head of intelligence of the Revolutionary Guard, Majid Jademi, last February in Tehran. Ali Larijaní, key figure of the regime; Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia; o Esmail Jatib, Minister of Intelligence. “Iran’s leaders live with the feeling of being persecuted. We will continue to hunt them down one by one,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. In theory, Trump maintains a moratorium on attacks on Iran’s basic infrastructure to give dialogue a chance, but he has bombed several (such as bridges) and his Israeli ally does so almost daily. The Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, claims to have already “disabled” 85% of the country’s petrochemical exports, causing “losses of tens of billions of dollars.” It already attacked it for the first time on the 18th. In addition to South Pars, it has attacked since last week two petrochemical plants, two of the largest steel factories, three airports, a power plant and, for the fourth time, the Bushehr nuclear power plant. “We are systematically eliminating the financial machinery of the Revolutionary Guard,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has boasted. More and more voices in Israel are calling for increasing attacks on civilian facilities, such as power plants, to leave entire neighborhoods in the dark. In fact, according to defense sources cited by the national press, he is only waiting for the green light from Washington to do so. Aware of the plans, Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned this Sunday: “The region will become hell for our enemies if they intensify attacks against Iranian infrastructure.” The latest wave, since Sunday night, has already left 34 dead. Seven of them were under 10 years old, according to the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Health, Hosein Kermanpur. In Baharestan, in the province of Tehran, the impact of a missile against two homes has killed 13 people, reports the Fars agency. Attacks by Israel and the United States have claimed more than 3,500 lives in Iran since the start of the war, according to data this Saturday from the US-based Iranian opposition human rights organization HRANA. Almost half, at least, were civilians. The Red Crescent confirms a lower figure: 1,900 dead and 20,000 injured. Rescuers remove a body from under a building demolished by an Iranian missile in the Israeli city of Haifa, this Monday. Ariel Schalit (AP) Israel, with an advanced anti-missile defense system and shelters, is experiencing its second deadliest day in this war this Monday. Rescue services have extracted the four people who were missing from the rubble dead since an Iranian missile hit their building in the city of Haifa the day before. The confirmation, after hours of searching, of the four deaths makes it the attack with the most fatalities in a month, followed only by another, with nine, in Beit Shemesh, in the first days of the conflict.
Editor’s Insight:
This development could have far-reaching consequences for global politics in the months ahead.
World leaders are expected to respond to these developments in the coming days.
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Source: This article was originally published in another language by Internacional en EL PAÍS and has been translated and adapted for our global English-speaking audience. Read the original article here.