Dan Sabbagh: The Guardian's defence and security editor on Trump warning 'a whole civilisation will die tonight' if Iran doesn't make a deal

Donald Trump's rhetoric is becoming more violent as he issues a grave threat toward Iran.

The US President says 'a whole civilisation will die tonight' unless the Strait of Hormuz reopens, warning US forces will demolish Iranian bridges and power. 

But Tehran is holding steadfast. 

The Guardian's defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh told Ryan Bridge Iranian infrastructure's already being bombed. 

He says Israel's blown up eight bridges across Tehran's rail network. 

US forces also bombed targets on Kharg Island overnight, which exports most of Iran's oil. 

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So seven hours on the clock till Trump's peace deadline
runs out. He has handed to run a ten point
plan for a ceasefire, but the regime doesn't seem to
be a fan of this. So basically, it's midday to
day New Zealand time, and if this doesn't happen, quote,
a whole civilization will die tonight. Dan Saba is a
defense and security editor at The Guardian. Joins us this morning.

(00:21):
Hi Dan, Hi, Hi, So well, let's start with what
Israel's doing overnight. I've been striking some bridges and transport
areas in Iran.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yes, that's right, one of the things that's happened obviously
during I'm in Jerusalem, so is during the day, during
the day here. But yeah, we're all been looking ahead
to this Trump deadline tonight. But and Trump has been
threatening to bomb bridges and power plants, and we were
sort of expecting that could potentially be happening tomorrow. But
here we are, Here we are. The Israelis began the

(00:54):
day and said we're going to bomb, you know, telling
Irenians to keep away from the railway networks because they
might be bombed anytime during the day. That's how the
day started, and it looks like the idea of the
Israeli Air Force. So it bombed eight different bridges or
eight different parts of the railway network in and around Tehran.
So they're already, you know, never mind the deadline that

(01:16):
John Trump's talking about. Well it's crazy, extraordinary talk about
civilization Erasia, but you know, already we're seeing civil infrastructure
being heavily bombed in Iran.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yeah. What do you think that is about the Israelis
going ahead and doing that ahead of time? Is that
a warning like this is what you know, we're serious,
we will go ahead and do this.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
I think it's a mixture. Yes, I think it's partly that.
I think it's partly it's designed to kind of up
the pressure on Iran as this negotiating deadline come, you know,
comes close. The reality is thus far throughout you know,
throughout the day, it doesn't it like Iran is really
that interested in talking. It doesn't like the terms that
have been put in front the fit Ran once An

(02:00):
into the war. It doesn't want a ceasefire, which is
what's been on put you know, on offer from mediators
like the Egyptians and the Turks and the pakistanis it
doesn't want this kind of idea that they could be
a ceasefire and then the Americans could just bomb anyway
for a couple of days and then kind of say, oh,
it's still a ceasefire. They think that's kind of unfair.

(02:21):
They want a full deal. But the kind of things
that they want, or seem to want, is they still
want someone to degree of control over the strains of
hor moves, and that's a non starter for Trump, who
memorably said open the bleep straight on social media earlier
this week. So we're two sides are a long way up,
two sides seem a long way apart. So I think

(02:42):
that's partly why we're seeing this increased bombing.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
And then you've got the Gold States who want Trump
basically to keep going, don't they.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Well, well, the girlf States are being hit very hard.
I think we've seen another facility in Saudi Arabia was
bombed to bomb today and and they clearly would like
the US to somehow finish the job, although it's not
exactly obvious how the Americans can do that, given they
won't commit ground forces, and if Iran is willing, if

(03:12):
Iran's leadership or new leadership is willing to take an
awful lot of pain, and it seems to be so
far done so then this could go on for some time.
It's not a very attractive scenario for ninety million ordinary
Iranians that were caught up in this.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Though certainly not Dan appreciate your analysis. Thank you, Dan Saber,
Defense and Security editor at the Guardian.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
to news Talks. It'd be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.