Trump’s deadline ended not with the major strikes he had threatened, but with a last-minute two-week pause. About 90 minutes before the Washington cutoff at 8 pm on Tuesday – 5.30 am on Wednesday in India – Trump said he would suspend US bombing of Iran for two weeks, relying on Tehran to ensure a “full, immediate and safe” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
But the rhetoric before that pause was tough. The thing is, even in structured killing during war, people expect rituals of repentance. You explain why the use of force was necessary, you emphasize that there was no other option, you show some remorse for what had to be destroyed – and you never say that civilians themselves are the targets.