Trump’s deadline ended not with the massive strikes he had threatened, but with a last-minute two-week pause. About 90 minutes before his 8pm Tuesday Washington cutoff — 5.30am Wednesday in India — Trump said he would suspend US bombing of Iran for two weeks, contingent on Tehran ensuring the “complete, immediate, and safe” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
But the rhetoric before that pause was stark. The thing is, even in the structured killing of wartime, people expect a ritual of contrition. You explain why force was necessary, you insist that there was no other option, you show some remorse for what had to be destroyed — and you never, ever say civilians themselves are the target.
