The climb that no one knows how to end
Donald Trump returned to the networks with an explosive message. It threatened to attack Iran’s power plants and bridges if it does not reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday. He ended his post with a sarcastic “Praise Allah”.
The trigger was the dramatic rescue of an American pilot, whose plane was shot down by Iran. Trump described an operation with dozens of aircraft to remove the soldier “from deep in the mountains.” But Tehran disputes the version and even promised a reward for the “enemy pilot.”
“It seems that Trump has become a phenomenon that neither Iranians nor Americans can fully analyze,” said Iranian Culture Minister Sayed Reza Salihi-Amiri in an interview. He added that Trump “constantly shifts between contradictory positions.”.
A war that already hits civilians
While leaders issue threats, the population pays the price. Iran has attacked key infrastructure in Gulf countries: electrical, petrochemical and even desalination plants, vital for drinking water.
In response, the Iranian mission to the UN called Trump’s threat “clear evidence of intent to commit war crimes.” Legal experts remind that attacking civilian infrastructure is only allowed if the military advantage clearly outweighs the damage to the population.
The human balance is devastating. More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since this conflict began just over five weeks ago. In Lebanon, the number exceeds 1,400 deaths and there are more than a million displaced people.
The geopolitical game of oil
Trump’s new deadline puts the focus on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for oil from the Persian Gulf to Europe and Asia. Some ships already pay Iran to pass.
An Iranian presidential spokesman wrote that the strait could be reopened… if transit revenues compensate Iran for war damages. It is complete economic blackmail.
Meanwhile, Oman is trying to mediate as it has done before between Washington and Tehran. Vice ministers met to discuss proposals that guarantee “fluid transit”. But the record is not encouraging: Trump has issued similar deadlines before and extended them when announcing diplomatic progress.
The question that floats in the air is the same one that many ask: how far will it go this time? The ability of the weakened Iranian military to continue counterattacking has surprised many. And Trump, according to his own critics, is unpredictable.
The only thing clear is that with each passing day, more families throughout the region mourn their dead.
