US/Israel-Iran War (Day 34): Trump threatens to bomb Iran ‘back to stone age’

Thousands of people have been killed in the Middle East, and an even higher number injured or displaced across Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and other parts of the region in the month-long war.

Attacks on major oil and gas facilities in four Middle Eastern countries have worsened the global economic impact of the war.

The US and Israeli war on Iran enters its 34th day today and shows no signs of abating.

PREMIUM TIMES brings you the key events around the war on the 33rd day.

Trump threatens to commit war crimes in Iran

President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on a range of Iranian civilian infrastructures if no deal is reached.

Al Jazeera reported that threatened to blow up Iran’s desalination plants, which are vital water sources in the state.

This move is likely to cut off the water supply to millions of Iranians across the country.

The deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure is considered a war crime in international law and the UN has repeatedly warned against it. However, that has not deterred the American leader, who has repeatedly shown his disdain for international law, from making the threat.

In a live address on Thursday, Mr Trump also claimed that the war is “nearing completion” and threatened to hit Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.”

“We are gonna finish the job. We are getting very close,” Mr Trump said.

Oil prices rise after Trump’s speech

Oil prices rose in response to Mr Trump’s speech.

While the speech was a rehash of previous statements, it failed to reassure global markets that the war was nearing an end and that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would reopen.

After his speech, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose by 6.5 per cent to $107 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose 5.5 per cent to about $105, according to the BBC.

The oil price increase affected Asia, where many countries rely on the Strait for oil supply.

The rising oil price threatens more severe economic consequences worldwide.

US, Asia stock markets fall after Trump’s speech

In the Asia-Pacific markets, stock prices fell on Thursday after Mr Trump’s address, as uncertainty about the war grew.

CGTN reported that Japan’s main stock market, the Nikkei 225, fell by 1.8 per cent. At the same time, markets across Asia, measured by the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index, dropped by more than 2 per cent

South Korea’s stock index, KOSPI, fell 4 per cent, and India’s Nifty 50 futures were down 2 per cent.

US stocks responded similarly. Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures declined by around 1 per cent each, and Nasdaq Composite futures dropped more sharply by about 1.4 per cent, according to the BBC.

Iran denies asking for a ceasefire

Iran, on Wednesday, denied Mr Trump’s claim of requesting a ceasefire.

The country said it did not demand a ceasefire and that Mr Trump’s claims are false and baseless.

This statement was in response to Mr Trump’s Truth Social post, in which he threatened to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age.

In the post, he falsely claimed the Iranian government has a “new president” and that the ‘new’ government was “less radicalised and far more intelligent.”

He claimed the Iranian government made a ceasefire request and said his administration would only consider it once the Strait of Hormuz is opened.

“Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he wrote.

Iran’s President writes America

On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote an open letter to Americans urging them to look beyond the distortions and misinformation about the war.

Mr Pezeshkian questioned whether Mr Trump’s “America First” policy is “truly among the priorities of the US government today. ”

“Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country ‘back to the stone ages’ serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?” he asked.

He also said, “Attacking Iran’s vital infrastructure – including energy and industrial facilities – directly targets the Iranian people. Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders.”

Australian PM says war objective unclear

The Australian Prime Minister, Albanese, questioned the war’s further goals.

The PM, a close Trump ally, on Wednesday, said the war on Iran seems to have met its main objectives, which, he said, are limiting Tehran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

He also wondered what additional targets remain to pursue or “what the endpoint looks like,” while noting that the longer the war continues, the greater its impact on the global economy.

He said, “We did express support for the original objectives: preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, and degrading its capacity to endanger its neighbours.”

“And now those objectives have been realised, it is not clear what more needs to be achieved.”

Another Iranian leader attacked

A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Kamal Kharazi, was injured in a US-Israeli attack on Wednesday.

The CNN, quoting Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency, said the official was injured during strikes on residential homes in Tehran.

This is the latest attack on a country’s key officials. Many such incidents have led to the death of the leaders, including the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

CNN reported that Mr Kharazi’s wife, however, was killed in the strike, while the adviser, who was critically injured, is currently receiving treatment.