Washington Post: “I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump told leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”
Taken seriously, Trump’s threat amounted to a contemplation of mass slaughter with little parallel in human history, with deadly consequences for Iran’s 93 million people.
He has, however, shown little inclination for large-scale assaults against Iran since the opening weeks of the war, despite repeated threats…