Protecting civilians is a sign of strength – and an American ideal

‘It is not a sign of weakness to protect civilians; it is the essence of strength, and a gesture of respect for the thousands of years of civilization that undergird all of us.’ Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Far from expressing remorse for his threat to bomb civilian infrastructure, Donald Trump is doubling down as we approach his deadline for Iranian submission: 8pm ET on Tuesday.

It’s not enough for the US to achieve a military victory – one that continues to elude him, with his stated goals for the war still unmet. Instead, “a whole civilization will die, never to be brought back again,” as he posted on social media. He then added that we are approaching “one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World”.