Trump pulls back on Iran threats for 2 weeks, subject to Iran agreeing to terms

President Donald Trump said he’s pulling back on his threats to widen attacks on Iran.

The president said that includes an array of bridges, power plants and other civilian targets — subject to Iran being ready for a two-week ceasefire and to reopen Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme Tuesday when he warned, “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran fails to make a deal that includes reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The Republican president’s earlier comments were swiftly met with condemnation from Democrats, some Make America Great Again supporters who have since broken with Trump, and the first pope from the United States.

Gov. JB Pritzker, who is widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, was among those who called for Trump's removal from office for his threats to bomb Iran.

Early Tuesday, the U.S. struck military targets in the Iranian oil hub of Kharg Island, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The attack marked the second time the island was targeted. Israeli warplanes, meanwhile, struck bridges and railways in Iran.

Iran’s president said Tuesday that 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to sacrifice their lives in the war. The figure is double the other figures mentioned by state media in the past. Iran is home to 90 million people.

U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week by an Iran-backed Iraqi militia, was released Tuesday. Ahead of her release, the group said its decision came “in appreciation of the patriotic stances” of Iraq’s prime minister, without giving details.

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