Trump Threatens Iran With Total Destruction If Strait Of Hormuz Stays Closed: 'They're Going To Lose Every Power Plant'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Iran on Sunday (April 5), threatening to destroy the country's power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.

“If they don't come through, if they want to keep it closed, they're going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal.

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Pressed on the potential duration of conflict, Trump said,“I will let you know pretty soon. But we are in a position that's very strong, and that country will take 20 years to rebuild, if they're lucky, if they have a country.”

Civilian infrastructure threatened

Trump's comments suggest broad strikes targeting Iran's civilian infrastructure, though the President argued Iranian citizens“want us to do it” because they are“living in hell.”

Details on US airmen rescue

Trump provided new details about the dramatic rescue of two US airmen whose F-15E fighter was shot down over Iran. The first airman was rescued quietly to avoid compromising the second, who was wounded and sought refuge in a mountain crevice.

“We didn't play up the first one, because then they would have found out about the second one,” Trump said.“Normally this is not done. When airmen go down, you can't get them in very tough countries.”

The rescue operation involved a CIA deception campaign, which spread word inside Iran that the first airman had been located and moved, buying time to extract the second.

Timing and tactical details

Trump noted that the two pilots landed a few seconds apart but were separated by“many miles” due to the speed of the aircraft at evacuation. He praised the US forces involved:“They were out there looking for him, the soldiers were all over the place... a lot of great things happened.”

On whether China or Russia assisted Iran in shooting down the F-15, Trump said,“Maybe they did, maybe they didn't,” declining to provide a definitive answer.

Self-imposed deadline for Iran

Trump's latest threat comes as Iran approaches his earlier 10-day deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was scheduled to end Monday. On Sunday afternoon, Trump reinforced the timeline in a social-media post:“Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!”

Also Read | Trump warns of strikes on Iran infrastructure on Tuesday amid Hormuz blockade

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