The terraform state rm command is used exclusively to remove a resource from the Terraform state file. This action does not destroy the actual infrastructure object in the remote system (e.g., an EC2 instance on AWS). Instead, it "orphans" the resource, meaning Terraform will no longer manage its lifecycle. The real-world resource will continue to exist until it is removed manually or managed by another tool. The command to destroy infrastructure managed by Terraform is terraform destroy.

The statement is "False". The alternative, "True", is incorrect because it confuses state manipulation with resource lifecycle management. The terraform state family of commands is designed for advanced operations on the state file itself, not for altering the real-world infrastructure that the state file represents. The command that performs the destruction of infrastructure is terraform destroy.

1. HashiCorp Terraform Documentation

"Command: state rm":

Location: https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/cli/commands/state/rm

Quote/Paraphrase: The documentation explicitly states

"This command removes items from the state file

but does not destroy the objects in the remote system." This directly refutes the claim made in the question. It further clarifies that the command is used to "unmanage" a resource from Terraform's perspective.