Trump Issues Profane Threats, Trump's War Politics, Artemis II Lunar Flyby
April 6, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readTrump Threatens Iran With Bombing Civilian Infrastructure, Artemis II Reaches the Moon
In a profanity-laced post on Truth Social, President Trump declared Tuesday would be "power plant day and bridge day in Iran," threatening to bomb civilian infrastructure if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz. He told ABC's Rachel Scott that if no deal was made, he was "blowing up the whole country." Iranian officials responded by calling the threats "obscenities and nonsense out of sheer desperation and anger," while Iran's UN mission said Trump's threats to bomb bridges and power plants showed "intent to commit a war crime" and urged immediate international intervention.
The Strait of Hormuz Deadline and Regional Fallout
Trump's ultimatum represents the latest shift in his stated war objectives. Last week, he said the U.S. didn't need to open the strait, that European allies should handle it themselves, or that the strait would open naturally when the war ended. The moving goalposts, as NPR's Mara Liasson put it, "gives the impression that Trump is making it up as he goes along and that there isn't a clear strategy, even when the military strategy may largely be working."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:22) **Trump Threatens to Bomb Iranian Civilian Infrastructure** - President Trump posts a profane ultimatum demanding Iran open the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to bomb power plants and bridges.
- 2 (02:49) **Iran Responds to Trump's Ultimatum** - Iranian officials call Trump's threats "obscene nonsense" and warn he is seeking to drag the region into an "endless war."
- 3 (03:23) **Israel's Position on the Conflict** - Prime Minister Netanyahu praises Trump for the rescue of a downed U.S. airman, with Israel providing intelligence for the mission.
- 4 (04:08) **Renewed Military Strikes Across the Region** - A heavy barrage of missiles hits Israel, and a strike in Haifa kills Israelis.
- 5 (05:18) **The Politics of the Rescue and the War** - NPR's Mara Liasson analyzes how the rescue of the U.S. colonel is a political win for Trump, but doesn't change his fundamental predicament.
- 6 (06:31) **Trump's Shifting War Messaging and Strategy** - Trump has ramped up his war messaging, including a primetime address, but his political objectives remain unclear and change daily.
- 7 (08:42) **The Unclear Path to Victory** - It's difficult for Trump to declare victory in Iran while the strait remains closed.
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Show Notes
Trump posted a profane threat to bomb Iran's power plants and bridges if it doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz.
And the Artemis II crew makes its closest approach to the moon today, sending humans farther into space than at any point in the last 50 years.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Gerry Holmes, Dana Farrington, Russell Lewis, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Taylor Haney.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Ava Pukatch.
Our director is Kaity Kline.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
(0:00) Introduction
(02:12) Trump Issues Profane Threats
(05:26) Trump's War Politics
(09:32) Artemis II Lunar Flyby
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