Trump Threatens to Bomb 52 Iranian Sites — Including Cultural Sites (2020-01-04)

After Soleimani's killing, Trump tweets that the US has targeted 52 Iranian sites — representing the 52 Americans taken hostage in 1979 — and threatens to hit them 'very fast and very hard.' He adds that some are 'at a very high level and important to Iran and the Iranian culture.' Threatening cultural sites is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. The comment sparks international outrage and is condemned by US allies and Defense Secretary Esper, who says the military would follow the laws of war.