Trump’s many threats of possible war crimes reach a crescendo in Iran

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump has set an 8 p.m. ET Tuesday deadline for Iran to agree to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and oil wells, actions that could constitute war crimes under international law.
• Trump has repeatedly delayed this deadline despite limited evidence of serious negotiations and has dismissed concerns about the legality of his threats, asserting that allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon would itself be a war crime.
• Experts and international officials, including the UN, have condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure as violations of international humanitarian law, while the White House maintains it will act within legal boundaries.
• Trump's history includes advocating or threatening actions potentially violating international law, such as targeting families of terrorists, torture, attacking cultural sites, and conducting strikes that may amount to war crimes, indicating a pattern of escalating rhetoric and actions.
• The situation signals a significant potential escalation in US-Iran tensions and raises concerns about the erosion of US adherence to international law and morality, with possible long-term consequences for regional stability and US global standing.