CNN – Donald Trump on Saturday drew what may come to be seen as the most significant red line of his presidency in a three-part tweet, vowing specific military action against Iran if it “strikes any Americans, or American assets.” “We have … targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture” and “if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets… Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD,” Trump wrote in a series of tweets.
The string of tweets come after the White House formally notified Congress on Saturday of the US operation that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani on Thursday. The administration has said it wants to de-escalate the crisis but Trump’s threat to target Iranian cultural sites is likely to antagonize the Iranian population whether they support the government or not.
It’s also highly unusual for the US to target cultural rather than military sites, with some critics suggesting such action may violate international law. “For what it’s worth, I find it hard to believe the Pentagon would provide Trump targeting options that include Iranian cultural sites,” tweeted Colin Kahl, former deputy assistant to President Barack Obama and national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. READ MORE
