File photo: US President Donald Trump
TOI correspondent from Washington: In a profanity-laced social media post worthy of a vulgarian streetfighter, U.S President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to rain hellfire on Iran if it did not open the Hormuz Straits, calling its leaders “crazy b*******.” “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump posted on Easter Sunday, a significant Christian holiday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after his crucifixion.
So vile and unexpected was the tone and language of the post that news outlets fact checked if the U.S President had indeed posted such a message, only to confirm he did so. There appeared to be an air of desperation in Trump’s post despite having rescued an American airman stranded in the Iranian desert in a daring operation only a few hours before, with some American analysts surmising he was getting frustrated by not being able to overpower Iran. In a telephone interview with Fox News after his post, Trump said he expected to make a deal with Iran tomorrow (Monday) and that his team was negotiating with some Iranian leaders who had been granted amnesty. “If they don’t make a deal and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil. You’re going to see bridges and power plants dropping all over their country,” Trump was quoted as saying.But Iran defiantly taunted Trump in social media posts from its state media, suggesting that there are no official talks and U.S interlocutors may be talking with forces whom Washington expected to overthrow the ruling dispensation in Iran. In an earlier post, Trump warned Iran that it had “48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them,” signaling the possibility of expanded strikes on Iranian infrastructure that the rage-filled U.S President appears to favor. US forces have already targeted a key bridge linking Tehran to Karaj – a video of which Trump posted – with Iranian media reporting civilian casualties. Administration officials have reportedly discussed further strikes on electric power plants and transportation networks, arguing that such targets have dual-use military value by supporting missile and drone logistics.The emerging US strategy has sparked a vigorous debate within policy and legal circles, with critics warning that such an approach will risk crossing into collective punishment of Iran’s civilian population. Any widespread infrastructure attacks could have devastating humanitarian consequences on an already long-suffering Iranian population. But supporters within the Pentagon argue that modern warfare increasingly blurs the line between civilian and military infrastructure, contending that degrading these systems is essential to limiting Tehran’s ability to wage war and develop advanced weapons, including drones and missiles that have harried U.S and Israel. The U.S has also attacked steel plants in Iran. Opponents counter that such strikes risk violating international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of proportionality and distinction. They also warn that targeting infrastructure could backfire strategically, hardening Iranian public opinion and strengthening the regime’s resolve. The international community also appears uneasy, with European analysts expressing concern about escalation dynamics, while humanitarian organizations have warned of cascading effects on water, healthcare, and food supply systems.
