Trump promises to unleash hell on the Middle East if Iran doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz by April 7.
On April 5, Donald Trump made a categorical statement: Tehran has until the evening of April 7 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, otherwise the US will destroy the Islamic Republic's power plants and bridges, writes The GuardianIranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded that the US president's "reckless steps" would lead to "our entire region burning."
Another threat of escalation was issued after American commandos rescued the second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet. The search for him lasted two days after the plane crashed in southwestern Iran.
Tehran released images of the wreckage of several planes but did not deny that US forces rescued the officer, who was hiding in a mountainous area while US special forces and Iranian forces tried to find him.
On the subject: Victorious video reports and plenty of spectacular explosions: what information is Trump receiving about the war with Iran?
Trump has at least twice adjusted the deadline given to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the blockage of which has caused oil prices to skyrocket. In his latest post, he pushed the date back again—from April 6 to April 7.
The US President wrote on his social media account, TruthSocial: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, all at once, in Iran. You've never seen anything like it!!! Open the damn Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll live in hell—WATCH IT! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP."
Meanwhile, oil prices are rising rapidly: on April 6, the American benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose by 1,86% to $112 per barrel, while Brent exceeded $110.
As Trump said on Fox News, there is a "good chance" of reaching an agreement with Iran as early as April 6, and negotiations are underway.
"If they don't make a deal quickly, I'm considering blowing it all up and taking control of the oil," he concluded.
Later that same day, March 5th, he posted again with a more precise timeline: "Tuesday, 20:00 PM ET!"
Moreover, from the first days of the American-Israeli war (February 28), Trump has repeatedly stated that Iran wants to conclude an agreement.
The Islamic Republic has acknowledged that messages were exchanged between the two sides, including through Pakistan, but Tehran insists it has not entered into peace talks. Diplomatic intermediaries say Iranian officials fear they will be targeted if they emerge from hiding to participate in the negotiations.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded to Trump's latest threats by writing: "Your reckless steps are dragging the United States into a living hell for every family, and our entire region will burn because you insist on following Netanyahu's orders."
"Make no mistake: war crimes will gain you nothing. The only real solution is to respect the rights of the Iranian people and stop this dangerous game."
Trump's categorical statement also drew criticism on Capitol Hill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in X: "Happy Easter, America. While you're going to church and spending time with family, the President of the United States is behaving like an unhinged lunatic on social media. He's threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies."
The destruction of the region's tallest bridge on April 2, hailed in Iran as an engineering feat, marks a new phase in the war in which the US president has threatened to send Iran "back to the Stone Age."
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During wartime, international law protects civilians and civilian infrastructure. These norms are enshrined in the Geneva Conventions.
Yale University international law professor Una Hathaway stated that the US president has failed to provide any arguments to make the civilian objects he threatens to strike legitimate military targets. She emphasized that other states are obligated to ensure compliance with the Geneva Conventions and not to facilitate unlawful actions.
"If such strikes take place, they would constitute war crimes," Hathaway concluded. "Creating unbearable conditions for civilians to exert pressure in the negotiating process is illegal."
During the joint US-Israeli campaign, Iranian steel plants, petrochemical plants, universities, and medical facilities were bombed. According to Iranian authorities, approximately 81,000 civilian structures were damaged, including 61,000 homes, 19,000 commercial properties, 275 medical centers, and nearly 500 schools.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv had succeeded in destroying 70% of Iran's steel production because it was being used to make missiles. He also confirmed strikes on petrochemical plants.
Iran was able to establish control over the Strait of Hormuz through threats and attacks on vessels passing through it. This gave Tehran powerful leverage over the oil trade during the conflict.
In response to the attacks, Iran continued to strike economic infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, which international law experts also consider illegal. On April 5, a petrochemical complex in Bahrain was struck; video footage showed thick black smoke rising from the facility.
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported that several of its facilities were attacked by Iranian drones, causing fires and "significant material losses." Kuwait reported that two power plants and desalination plants sustained "significant damage" following Iranian drone strikes.
In Lebanon, Israel again struck southern Beirut neighborhoods, killing at least four people and wounding 39 others. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli airstrike on the southern town of Kfar Hatta killed at least seven people, including a four-year-old girl.
On April 2, Iranian residents saw firsthand the kind of attacks that could follow: the 136-meter-long, $400 million B1 suspension bridge between Tehran and Karaj was destroyed.
The strike occurred on the last day of the Iranian New Year festivities. Many families were reportedly vacationing nearby when rockets struck the central section of the bridge, causing a powerful explosion. Picnickers who had pitched tents fled in panic. Local authorities say 13 people were killed and 95 injured.
The bridge had not yet opened and was still designated B1 pending its official opening scheduled for the summer.
Trump released a video of the bridge's destruction and warned Iran that it should reach an agreement while "there's still something left to save." On Sunday, April 5, he stated that the US and Iran were close to an agreement on direct talks several days ago.
"But then they said they'd meet us in five days. I asked, 'Why in five days?' I thought they weren't serious. So I attacked the bridge," he explained.
An engineer involved in the bridge's construction told Iranian television, "We created everything ourselves—with our knowledge, labor, and resources. I'm ashamed that I couldn't make it so that people could use it."
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Another Iranian civil engineer who worked on major infrastructure projects noted that recent strikes on domestically built civilian infrastructure have already "made it impossible to conceal hostility toward the Iranian people under the guise of mere opposition to the government." He added that the strike on the bridge was the most painful, as it had no military, nuclear, or national significance.
"The target of this attack was nothing less than Iran's pride," he concluded. "A country that has achieved such a level of self-sufficiency and productive capacity cannot be returned to the Stone Age."
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