Trump Issues Threats of Civilian Infrastructure Destruction in Iran Amid Ongoing U.S.-Israeli Conflict

President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social on Tuesday that a whole civilization in Iran would die that night, following threats to obliterate the country's civilian infrastructure. -Israeli war on Iran, which started on February 28. Trump specified plans to decimate every bridge and power plant by 12:00 on Wednesday.

On Monday, Trump warned that the entire country of Iran could be taken out in one night, potentially as soon as Tuesday. He referenced bombing Iran back to the Stone Ages and demanded the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. When asked if these threats constituted war crimes, Trump replied that he was not concerned.

Sarah Harrison, associate general counsel at the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel during Trump’s first term, stated that Trump's threats express genocidal intent and are unlawful orders.

“Every single lawmaker and national security leader needs to stand against this and make clear to the U.S. military that these are unlawful orders and if carried out they will someday face criminal prosecution." — Sarah Harrison, The Intercept Rebecca Ingber, a former State Department lawyer, explained that Trump's statements meet the specific intent required under the Genocide Convention for destroying a national group. Sarah Yager of Human Rights Watch described the described destruction as a war crime with no gray area under international law. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported last week that strikes on critical infrastructure have disrupted electricity, water, and telecommunications, posing environmental and health risks.”

Impacts on Civilians Strikes have targeted airports, cultural sites, hospitals, industrial areas, markets, residential zones, and schools since the war began. Specific incidents include the bombing of Tehran's civilian international airport, a power plant in Khorramshahr, water reservoirs in Fars and Khuzestan, and the B1 highway bridge last week, which killed eight villagers celebrating Nowruz.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed strikes on multiple nuclear sites, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant. IAEA head Rafael Grossi warned on Monday that continued activity near the plant could cause a severe radiological accident affecting Iran and beyond.

Casualty figures from Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education indicate over 2,100 civilians killed and 28,000 injured by the end of last month, including 216 children killed and 1,881 injured as of April 3. The UNHCR reported 3.2 million people displaced inside Iran nearly a month ago.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society documented damage to 115,200 civilian homes, commercial properties, and sites, including 763 schools. A U.S. strike on Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school killed around 175 civilians, mostly children; a Pentagon report confirmed U.S. forces conducted the strike, contradicting Trump's claims that Iran was responsible.

More than 334 medical and emergency centers have been damaged, with 24 health workers killed and 116 injured. Around 400,000 people in Tehran face food insecurity, with grocery inflation at 113 percent per OCHA. Trump claimed intercepts of Iranian communications showed people requesting continued bombing, but reports indicate residents are fleeing urban areas under attack.

Yager noted the threats exacerbate anxiety for civilians already facing government repression.