Iran Responds To Trump’s Ultimatum – By Bombing Oil Tanker

AP Photo/Allison Robbert

President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. has crippled Iranian forces so badly that Iran’s government is desperate to make a deal.

That narrative, however, was dealt another blow on Monday.

“Great progress” toward such a deal had been made, the president claimed on Monday morning, while adding that if an agreement is not reached soon and if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz “immediately,” the U.S. would bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure, such as power plants and desalination facilities:

The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran. Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately “Open for Business,” we will conclude our lovely “stay” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet “touched.” This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year “Reign of Terror.” Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

Hours later, Iran responded by reportedly striking a fully-laden Kuwaiti oil tanker in a port near Dubai, according to Bloomberg. The strike damaged the hull and started a fire. No casualties have been reported.

“Emergency response and firefighting teams were immediately mobilized and are currently working to contain and control the situation in close coordination with the relevant authorities,” Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the tanker’s operator, said in a statement.

Shortly before the attack, the Associated Press reported that Gulf State allies of the U.S. have urged Trump to keep attacking Iran, despite the president’s repeated claims that the U.S. has “won” the war, which he said is just about over.

“Officials from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have conveyed in private conversations that they do not want the military operation to end until there are significant changes in the Iranian leadership or there’s a dramatic shift in Iranian behavior,” according to U.S., Israeli, and Gulf State officials, the AP reported.

Iran has responded to U.S. and Israeli attacks by launching drones and missiles at U.S. military bases in the region, Israel, and oil assets belonging to multiple Gulf States.

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