On Tuesday morning, Donald Trump issued threat against Iran so apocalyptic it stunned some of his most radical supporters: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” It’s the kind of rhetoric that shocks the conscience, even in a presidency defined by shock. With the war in Iran now entering its seventh week and spiraling toward an uncertain end, the statement landed like a warning flare. By day’s end, after setting off a global panic, the president backed down and announced a two-week ceasefire deal. Then, for the second time during this war, Trump lashed out at the media for supposedly spreading Iranian disinformation.
When the president announced the agreement in a post on his Truth Social platform, he noted he had “received a 10 point proposal from Iran” that he considered “a workable basis on which to negotiate.” Reporting on the story, CNN posted a news brief headlined “Iran claims victory, says it forced US to accept 10-point plan” that included a statement from the Iranian Security Council critical of the U.S. reading, in part, “The enemy, in its unfair, unlawful, and criminal war against the Iranian nation, has suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat.” CNN anchor Erin Burnett also read aloud from the statement on her show: “Our hands remain upon the trigger and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy it shall be met with full force.”
