President Trump [AP Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump has been frequently using the term "Stone Age" as he recently foreshadows a final offensive against Iran.

During a Q&A with reporters at the White House on the 31st of last month (local time), President Trump said, "If we think they (Iran) are going into the Stone Age for a long time, and they can't have nuclear weapons, then we're leaving."

The following day, on the 1st, he posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, "Until then (until Iran accepts U.S. demands), we will completely devastate Iran," and asserted, "In other words, they are being returned to the Stone Age."

Later the same day, during a national address, he again targeted Iran, saying, "We will return them to the Stone Age they deserve." Immediately after, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses wrote on his X account, "To the Stone Age."

The term "Stone Age," used consecutively by President Trump, is interpreted as meaning to destroy everything to the level of the pre-civilized era of humanity.

The "Stone Age" threat is a phrase the U.S. has used in past wars with other countries. Most recently during the Gulf War, and further back during the Vietnam War.

It is known that then-U.S. Secretary of State James Baker used this phrase during Operation Desert Storm, launched by the U.S. to oust then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who had invaded Kuwait in 1991.

At the time, Baker met with then-Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz in Geneva, Switzerland, and warned that if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait, the U.S. would bomb Iraq and "return it to the Stone Age," according to reports by The New York Times (NYT) and others.

In 1965, during the Vietnam War, then-U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay threatened to bomb communist North Vietnam and turn it into the "Stone Age." He was the figure who led the aerial bombing of Japan and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II.

President Trump, using the same phrase in his national address, stated, "Over the next two to three weeks, we will deliver an extremely powerful blow to Iran."

This could suggest not just precision strikes on regime leaders and military facilities, similar to military operations conducted after past "Stone Age" threats, but also "carpet bombing" of civilian infrastructure or ground troop deployment.

President Trump has set June 6th as the deadline for an agreement with Iran, and has declared that if an agreement is not reached, he will "bomb and completely devastate all of their power plants, oil wells, and Harg Island (perhaps all desalination facilities)."

U.S. Central Command, carrying out this "Grand FURY" operation, stated that as of the 1st, since the start of hostilities, they have struck 12,300 targets within Iran and destroyed 13,000 Iranian military aircraft and 155 vessels.

Brad Cooper, commander of Central Command, posted on X on the 2nd, stating, "Entering the fifth week of the operation, we assess that significant progress has been made," and announced that most of Iran's navy, air force, and anti-aircraft missile defense systems have been destroyed.