Situation, report
Tehran says it has been told what is coming. Trump, the same day: 'if and when do I blow the entire nation up?'
Iran's central military command said on Sunday it had received information that Washington will resume action against it, with backing from other countries in the region, and promised sustained strikes on US bases if it happens. The same day, a Fox News correspondent said the president was in "deciding mode" and weighing three courses, one of them wiping Iran out. Neither report carries a date.
What we know
- Claimed
Iran’s central military command said in a statement on Sunday that Tehran had received information that the United States was planning to resume action, with the backing of some other countries in the region. The claim rests on Iran’s own account of what it was told.1
- Claimed
Iranian state media reported the country’s military saying any US attack will trigger sustained strikes on US bases and interests in the region, and that regional countries supporting such an attack would be considered parties to the conflict.1
- Claimed
The Hill, reporting Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst’s account of remarks by Trump on Sunday, carries the question “if and when do I blow the entire nation up?” in its headline and text.2
- Claimed
Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst said Trump was in a “deciding mode” and that “very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future”. Yingst quoted the president describing his choices as “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal”, and adding: “My question is if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave.”2
- Claimed
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until Tehran’s conditions are met, and that Iran must both fight and negotiate. Sky News attributes this to the semi-official Fars news agency.1
- Confirmed
The conflict began in late February after US-Israeli strikes on Iran. A 60-day memorandum of understanding ended the strikes in June; it expired last month, and there have been tit-for-tat exchanges since.1
- Confirmed
The strait remains largely cut off. The United States, which is blocking Iranian ports, has often claimed to have seized control of the waterway and insisted it is open. Oil topped $100 a barrel again earlier this month.1
- Confirmed
Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait said a Houthi attack on the Saudi capital was a violation of international law and a regional security threat. A pillar of black smoke was seen rising near Riyadh’s main airport on Saturday after missile and drone strikes since claimed by the Iran-backed group.1
What we don’t know
- Whether the United States has in fact decided to resume action. The claim is Tehran’s, and it named no source for it.
- Which countries Iran means by “some other countries in the region”, and what backing it alleges they have given.
- Whether any American order, plan or force movement lies behind the president’s remarks. Neither source cites a US government source describing preparations.
- The full context of the president’s words. They reach the page through one Fox News correspondent’s account.
- When either side means. Neither report gives a date for the action it describes, and neither full statement was read here.
Two statements were made on Sunday about the same war. Neither report of them carries a date for what it describes.
Iran’s central military command said it had received information that the United States was planning to resume action against it, with the backing of some other countries in the region.1 Iranian state media reported the military saying any such attack would trigger sustained strikes on US bases and interests across the region, and that any regional country backing it would be treated as a party to the conflict.1
How Tehran came by that information is not stated.1
The other statement
The same day, The Hill carried this question from the president of the United States in its headline: “if and when do I blow the entire nation up?”2
It reaches the page through Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, who said Trump was in a “deciding mode” and that “very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future”. He quoted the president setting out his options:
The president described the current choices on the table as “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal”. He added, “My question is if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave.”2
The Hill attributes every one of those words to Yingst’s account rather than to a recording or a transcript.2
What is already true
The war did not start on Sunday. It began in late February, after US-Israeli strikes on Iran. A 60-day memorandum of understanding stopped the strikes in June, expired last month, and tit-for-tat exchanges have run since.1
The Strait of Hormuz is still largely closed. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Sunday that it will not reopen until Tehran’s conditions are met, and that Iran must both fight and negotiate.1 The United States, which is blocking Iranian ports, has often claimed to have seized control of the waterway and insisted it is open.1 Oil passed $100 a barrel again earlier this month.1
And on Saturday, a pillar of black smoke rose near the main airport of Riyadh, after missile and drone strikes since claimed by the Iran-backed Houthis. Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait called it a violation of international law and a regional security threat.1
The gap
Keep the evidence open.
This will change. We will tell you when.
Sources
Corrections and updates
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