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US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on April 18, 2026.
(Photo by Allison Robbert/fceor The Washington Post via Getty Images)
'Threats of War Crimes Cannot Be Normalized': Trump Ripped for Renewed Iran Genocide Threats
"Trump’s repeated threats to destroy civilian infrastructure are not negotiation, they’re reckless escalations that endanger millions," said one group.
Apr 20, 2026
As Iran reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid continued US and Israeli provocations, President Donald Trump renewed threats to destroy Iran and its civilian infrastructure, prompting calls on Monday for the US leader to stop threatening to commit war crimes—and for Americans to not normalize such criminal behavior.
Trump was embarrassed on the world stage after declaring Friday that it was "A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD" because "Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again."
While Iran's government did agree to fully reopen the vital Mideast waterway—through which around 20% of the world's oil is shipped—on Friday, Trump's continued blockade of Iran's ports and rampant Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon led to Tehran shutting down the strait again and accusing the United States of "acts of piracy and maritime theft."
Iranian naval vessels subsequently opened fire on a pair of Indian-flagged ships attempting to travel through the strait Saturday, allegedly after giving at least one of them permission to transit the waterway.
The following day, US forces attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
Two weeks after his genocidal threat to wipe out the "whole civilization" of Iran, Trump took to his Truth Social network on Sunday to renew vows to commit war crimes if the Iranian government does not sign a peace deal by Wednesday.
“If they don’t sign the deal, then the whole country is going to get blown up," the president said. “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
Responding to Trump's post, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) said Monday on social media: "Threats of war crimes cannot become normalized. Trump’s repeated threats to destroy civilian infrastructure are not negotiation, they’re reckless escalations that endanger millions."
"The president must abandon this pattern immediately and pursue a serious, lawful, diplomatic strategy grounded in legitimate de-escalation," NIAC added.
Threats to commit war crimes such as blowing up entire countries or destroying civilian infrastructure can, like the acts themselves, be illegal under international law.
"If you follow illegal orders to commit war crimes, you will be prosecuted by a future administration," Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)—who served in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps—said in a Sunday message to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Bombing 'every single power plant, and every single bridge' would violate proportionality principle and cause excessive civilian harm, which is a war crime."
However, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Sunday defended Trump's statements, citing American actions in World War II—which included waging the world's only nuclear war and carpet-bombing of German and Japanese cities that killed more people than the atomic bombs—to justify the president's threats.
Waltz also claimed that "the Iranian regime... and its terrorist proxies have a long history of actually deliberately hiding military infrastructure in hospitals, schools, neighborhoods, and other civilian assets," comments that came as Israeli forces continued their attacks on all of those civilian structures and more in Gaza and Lebanon. Iranians are also reeling from US and Israeli attacks, many of them on civilian infrastructure, that officials in Tehran and human rights groups say have killed as many as 1,700 noncombatantas, including hundreds of women and children.
Trump's continued blockade and renewed threats come as Pakistan on Monday pushed for a resumption of peace talks, with Pakistani officials saying Iran has signaled its willingness to send a delegation to Islamabad for negotiations. If Tehran agrees to new talks, Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead a US delegation to Pakistan whose members would likely include Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Iranian officials have slammed the unreliability of the Trump administration—which has twice waged war on Iran right when deals were in sight, according to international mediators.
“Iranians do not submit to force,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday.
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As Iran reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid continued US and Israeli provocations, President Donald Trump renewed threats to destroy Iran and its civilian infrastructure, prompting calls on Monday for the US leader to stop threatening to commit war crimes—and for Americans to not normalize such criminal behavior.
Trump was embarrassed on the world stage after declaring Friday that it was "A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD" because "Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again."
While Iran's government did agree to fully reopen the vital Mideast waterway—through which around 20% of the world's oil is shipped—on Friday, Trump's continued blockade of Iran's ports and rampant Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon led to Tehran shutting down the strait again and accusing the United States of "acts of piracy and maritime theft."
Iranian naval vessels subsequently opened fire on a pair of Indian-flagged ships attempting to travel through the strait Saturday, allegedly after giving at least one of them permission to transit the waterway.
The following day, US forces attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
Two weeks after his genocidal threat to wipe out the "whole civilization" of Iran, Trump took to his Truth Social network on Sunday to renew vows to commit war crimes if the Iranian government does not sign a peace deal by Wednesday.
“If they don’t sign the deal, then the whole country is going to get blown up," the president said. “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
Responding to Trump's post, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) said Monday on social media: "Threats of war crimes cannot become normalized. Trump’s repeated threats to destroy civilian infrastructure are not negotiation, they’re reckless escalations that endanger millions."
"The president must abandon this pattern immediately and pursue a serious, lawful, diplomatic strategy grounded in legitimate de-escalation," NIAC added.
Threats to commit war crimes such as blowing up entire countries or destroying civilian infrastructure can, like the acts themselves, be illegal under international law.
"If you follow illegal orders to commit war crimes, you will be prosecuted by a future administration," Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)—who served in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps—said in a Sunday message to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Bombing 'every single power plant, and every single bridge' would violate proportionality principle and cause excessive civilian harm, which is a war crime."
However, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Sunday defended Trump's statements, citing American actions in World War II—which included waging the world's only nuclear war and carpet-bombing of German and Japanese cities that killed more people than the atomic bombs—to justify the president's threats.
Waltz also claimed that "the Iranian regime... and its terrorist proxies have a long history of actually deliberately hiding military infrastructure in hospitals, schools, neighborhoods, and other civilian assets," comments that came as Israeli forces continued their attacks on all of those civilian structures and more in Gaza and Lebanon. Iranians are also reeling from US and Israeli attacks, many of them on civilian infrastructure, that officials in Tehran and human rights groups say have killed as many as 1,700 noncombatantas, including hundreds of women and children.
Trump's continued blockade and renewed threats come as Pakistan on Monday pushed for a resumption of peace talks, with Pakistani officials saying Iran has signaled its willingness to send a delegation to Islamabad for negotiations. If Tehran agrees to new talks, Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead a US delegation to Pakistan whose members would likely include Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Iranian officials have slammed the unreliability of the Trump administration—which has twice waged war on Iran right when deals were in sight, according to international mediators.
“Iranians do not submit to force,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday.
As Iran reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid continued US and Israeli provocations, President Donald Trump renewed threats to destroy Iran and its civilian infrastructure, prompting calls on Monday for the US leader to stop threatening to commit war crimes—and for Americans to not normalize such criminal behavior.
Trump was embarrassed on the world stage after declaring Friday that it was "A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD" because "Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again."
While Iran's government did agree to fully reopen the vital Mideast waterway—through which around 20% of the world's oil is shipped—on Friday, Trump's continued blockade of Iran's ports and rampant Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon led to Tehran shutting down the strait again and accusing the United States of "acts of piracy and maritime theft."
Iranian naval vessels subsequently opened fire on a pair of Indian-flagged ships attempting to travel through the strait Saturday, allegedly after giving at least one of them permission to transit the waterway.
The following day, US forces attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
Two weeks after his genocidal threat to wipe out the "whole civilization" of Iran, Trump took to his Truth Social network on Sunday to renew vows to commit war crimes if the Iranian government does not sign a peace deal by Wednesday.
“If they don’t sign the deal, then the whole country is going to get blown up," the president said. “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
Responding to Trump's post, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) said Monday on social media: "Threats of war crimes cannot become normalized. Trump’s repeated threats to destroy civilian infrastructure are not negotiation, they’re reckless escalations that endanger millions."
"The president must abandon this pattern immediately and pursue a serious, lawful, diplomatic strategy grounded in legitimate de-escalation," NIAC added.
Threats to commit war crimes such as blowing up entire countries or destroying civilian infrastructure can, like the acts themselves, be illegal under international law.
"If you follow illegal orders to commit war crimes, you will be prosecuted by a future administration," Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)—who served in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps—said in a Sunday message to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Bombing 'every single power plant, and every single bridge' would violate proportionality principle and cause excessive civilian harm, which is a war crime."
However, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Sunday defended Trump's statements, citing American actions in World War II—which included waging the world's only nuclear war and carpet-bombing of German and Japanese cities that killed more people than the atomic bombs—to justify the president's threats.
Waltz also claimed that "the Iranian regime... and its terrorist proxies have a long history of actually deliberately hiding military infrastructure in hospitals, schools, neighborhoods, and other civilian assets," comments that came as Israeli forces continued their attacks on all of those civilian structures and more in Gaza and Lebanon. Iranians are also reeling from US and Israeli attacks, many of them on civilian infrastructure, that officials in Tehran and human rights groups say have killed as many as 1,700 noncombatantas, including hundreds of women and children.
Trump's continued blockade and renewed threats come as Pakistan on Monday pushed for a resumption of peace talks, with Pakistani officials saying Iran has signaled its willingness to send a delegation to Islamabad for negotiations. If Tehran agrees to new talks, Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead a US delegation to Pakistan whose members would likely include Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Iranian officials have slammed the unreliability of the Trump administration—which has twice waged war on Iran right when deals were in sight, according to international mediators.
“Iranians do not submit to force,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday.
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