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By Adeola Adeosun and Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump dismissed suggestions his threats to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure would amount to "war crimes," as his Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz drew closer and international warnings mounted against expanded U.S. military action.
Why It Matters
Trump's threats to target Iran's critical infrastructure—including every bridge and power plant in the country—have raised urgent questions about whether expanded U.S. military action could violate international law.
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Deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure are broadly prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Charter, which bar targeting sites "indispensable to the survival of the civilian population."
The Pentagon's own Law of War Manual states that persons, objects, and locations that are not military objectives "may not be made the object of attack." With the deadline fast approaching and Iran showing no sign of backing down, the risk of a catastrophic escalation—and a potential constitutional and legal reckoning—is mounting.
What To Know
Trump issued his initial infrastructure threats in an expletive-laced social media post Sunday, warning U.S. forces could target bridges and power plants if Iran did not allow vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical maritime oil chokepoint, that Tehran has effectively blocked for more than a month.
Speaking at a Monday afternoon White House press conference, Trump said he was "not at all" concerned about war crimes accusations, suggesting Iranians themselves want the U.S. to follow through because it could lead to the end of their current leadership.
"I hope I don't have to do it," Trump said, while reiterating he would blow Iran "back to the Stone Age" if it fails to meet his deadline.
Trump warned that "every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night," and that power plants would be "burning, exploding and never to be used again." He refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off limits and suggested his Tuesday deadline was final, saying he had already granted Iran enough extensions.
"The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night," he said.
When asked by a reporter whether he believes God supports U.S. actions in the war, Trump said: "I do, because God is good, and God wants to see people taken care of. God doesn't like what's happening. I don't enjoy this. Everyone says I enjoy this. I don't enjoy this."
Iran rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal brokered by Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators, instead conveying its own 10-point plan through Pakistan calling for a permanent end to the war with guarantees against future attacks. Trump acknowledged negotiations were still ongoing. A regional official involved in talks told the Associated Press that efforts had not collapsed, saying, "We are still talking to both sides."
Separately, Israel struck a major petrochemical plant in the South Pars natural gas field and killed the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Major General Majid Khademi. Israel also said it struck three Tehran airports overnight and killed the leader of the Guard's undercover unit in its Quds Force. Iranian authorities reported at least 29 people were killed across the country by airstrikes Monday. Approximately 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, with the government not updating the toll for several days.
More than 100 international law experts signed an open letter Friday calling the opening U.S. attacks on Iran a "clear violation of the United Nations Charter" and warning that subsequent strikes "raise serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes."
What People Are Saying
Trump, when pressed by a reporter earlier in the day on how striking Iran's bridges and power plants would not constitute a war crime, replied: "Because they killed 45,000 in the last month. They kill protesters. They are animals."
Stephane Dujarric, U.N. Spokesman, told reporters any attack on civilian infrastructure is: "A violation of international law and a very clear one," adding that whether specific strikes constitute war crimes would ultimately be for a court to decide.
Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, said: "President Trump's latest threats on Truth Social, if carried out, would violate the law of armed conflict as laid out in the Geneva Conventions and the DoD Law of War Manual."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, via X on Sunday: "Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media. He’s threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better."
Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, via X: "He has gone insane. This is not making America great again, this is evil."
John Spencer, Chair of War Studies, Madison Policy Forum: "Any strike on infrastructure does not automatically equal a war crime."
Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, via X on Sunday: "Trump is clearly unfit to be President. But do not let that explain away the evil of his threatening war crimes against the Iranian people, on Easter Sunday no less. We cannot let Trump normalize this."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. forces: "Will always act within the confines of the law," but that Trump will "move forward unabated."
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Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Update 4/6/26, 4:29 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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