Donald Trump has threatened to drastically escalate the war on Iran by destroying the country’s bridges and electric power plants, despite warnings that such attacks could be seen as war crimes.
The 79-year-old president posted the unhinged threat to the Middle Eastern country in a late-night Truth Social message amid mounting concerns that he has no real plan to end a deeply unpopular conflict that has already caused a global energy crisis.
“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” Trump wrote.
“Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and it has to be done FAST!”
Trump had already warned in another Thursday Truth Social post that Iran must make a deal “BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!”
The president made the threat while sharing a video of U.S. airstrikes targeting a bridge connecting Tehran and Karaj.
“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again,” Trump added. “Much more to follow!”
Trump’s threats came as dozens of international law experts signed an open letter raising concerns that U.S. strikes on Iran—including attacks on civilian infrastructure for no clear military purpose—could amount to war crimes.
The letter cites comments Trump made last month suggesting the U.S. might attack Iran “just for fun.” It also points to remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claiming the U.S. does not fight with “stupid rules of engagement” and Trump’s comment in January that “I don’t need international law.”
Trump has frequently issued deranged threats toward Iran as part of a flailing pressure campaign to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping passage through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
This has included threatening the “obliteration” of Iran’s energy infrastructure while giving seemingly arbitrary deadlines for the country to meet the president’s demands. Last month, Trump said he would once again hold off attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure while issuing a new 10-day deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait, set to expire after April 6.
During a low-energy primetime address to the nation on Wednesday, Trump delivered vague updates about the conflict, which has now dragged on for more than a month, again suggesting the war would end within a few weeks without explaining how that would actually be achieved.
Trump also warned that the U.S. plans to attack Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks” in order to bring the country of 90 million people “back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”
The war on Iran is becoming increasingly damaging for the president politically, which could have devastating knock-on effects for Republicans in November’s midterm elections.
The conflict—and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz—has sent oil prices soaring well above $100 a barrel and caused gas prices to soar across the U.S.
A CNN/SSRS poll released this week found that just 31 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, the lowest rating in either of his terms, as tens of millions of Americans already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis face further financial hardships due to the war.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the Pentagon for comment.
