A terraform apply can not _________ infrastructure.

The process of running terraform apply is primarily aimed at applying the desired state defined in your Terraform configuration files to create or modify cloud infrastructure. However, one key aspect to understand is that terraform apply does not handle the importation of existing resources into the Terraform state.

When you want to bring existing infrastructure under Terraform management, you need to use the terraform import command first. This command allows you to associate a real-world resource with your Terraform configuration. After the resource has been imported, you can then manage it with Terraform commands, including apply.

Thus, the correct answer highlights that terraform apply cannot import infrastructure because importing requires a separate command. The other mentioned operations, like starting new infrastructure, updating existing resources, or even destroying resources, can all be performed during the terraform apply execution as it reconciles the current state with the desired configuration.