Donald Trump’s way with words was on display on the morning of April 7 when he posted on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Sarah Yager of Human Rights Watch accused him of planning “a war crime, plain and simple.” Agnès Callamard of Amnesty International saw something worse: “a threat to commit genocide.” Senator Patty Murray of Washington heard “the rantings of a bloodthirsty lunatic.”
Trump’s post, however, was deliberate strategic communication. It placed before the regime in Tehran a stark choice: Surrender your nuclear weapons program or face the destruction of Iran’s electricity and transportation grids—legitimate targets under the laws of war. Before nightfall, Trump had decided not to trigger the apocalypse. Instead, he announced a two-week ceasefire. His forbearance failed to mollify the critics. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez spoke for many on both sides of the Atlantic when he said, “The government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket.”
