Trump threatens Iran’s water supply in astonishing ‘war crime’ escalation as defiant Tehran tears up nuclear treaty
Donald Trump has threatened to ‘blow up’ Iran’s water supply and electric grid unless the Islamic regime reopens the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran moves to tear up its nuclear treaty.
The President made the threat in a Truth Social post Monday morning, warning that if Iran refuses to sign a peace deal the US would conclude the war by ‘blowing up and completely obliterating’ electric plants and oil wells across the country.
Trump said the US was in ‘serious discussions with a new, and more reasonable regime’ to end the war, adding that ‘great progress had been made’ – the post landing before Wall Street’s opening bell.
But he immediately followed up with an escalation, writing that if a deal could not be reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, then the US would strike Iran’s ‘electric generating plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants.’
Iran relies on desalination plants to supply its population of more than 90 million people, who have little access to fresh water without them.
Striking or destroying water supplies and infrastructure necessary to the survival of the civilian population is strictly prohibited by the Geneva Convention.
It comes as Iran’s parliament weighs exiting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, long cited by the regime as proof it harbors no nuclear ambitions, though US intelligence have warned for years that Tehran’s enrichment activities could presage a bomb.
‘What is the benefit of joining a treaty in which bullying parties at the international level not only do not allow us to benefit from its rights but also attack our nuclear facilities?’ an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Trump threatened to ‘blow up’ Iran ‘s water supply and electric grid if the Islamic regime did not immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz
It comes as Iran’s parliament weighs exiting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, long cited by the Islamic regime as proof it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon
Striking or destroying water supplies and infrastructure necessary to the survival of the civilian population is strictly prohibited by the Geneva Convention
Stock futures rose after Trump offered investors hope that a deal was in reach. Futures tied to the Dow added 357 points, or 0.8 percent. S&P and Nasdaq futures were up 0.8 percent each.
But oil was also trending higher, with international benchmark Brent crude hitting $115 per barrel, ticking up 2 percent, while US crude was up at $101 per barrel, rising by 1.4 percent.
Trump’s mixed signals on the conflict have repeatedly come just before markets open, as he touts progress toward a resolution while also threatening to seize Kharg Island, which handles roughly 90 percent of Tehran’s oil exports.
Retired US Army General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Wesley Clark, said during an interview last week that Trump should not bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure because such an attack could be considered a ‘war crime.’
‘A lot of people will say it’s a war crime because mostly these power plants are probably there for the civilian population,’ said Clark in a NewsNation interview. ‘You cannot destroy civilian assets in an effort to put harm on the population.’
As the US sends thousands of military personnel to the region for a possible ground invasion, Iran has responded by laying traps and moving additional assets to fortify the island.
Trump, meanwhile, told the Financial Times during an interview on Sunday that he could ‘take the oil in Iran’ by seizing Kharg island.
As the war enters its fifth week, the President said he favors capturing Iran’s vast oil reserves, drawing a comparison to Venezuela, where he claimed the US secured control of the country’s fossil fuel industry following the removal of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump said he favors capturing Iran’s vast oil reserves
As the Strait of Hormuz remains closed since the star of the war, the price of oil surged to $101 per barrel on Monday morning
Iran has responded to US-Israeli strikes by launching suicide drone and ballistic missile assaults against oil infrastructure and civilian areas in the Middle East
Trump said that his ‘favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say, ‘Why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.’
‘Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,’ Trump said. ‘It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.’
Iran has responded to US-Israeli strikes by launching suicide drone and ballistic missile assaults against oil infrastructure and civilian areas in the Middle East.
Israel and Gulf nations hosting US military bases have faced the brunt of Iran’s retaliatory attacks in recent weeks.
A new barrage of Iranian strikes were launched at the UAE on Monday as authorities in Dubai said reports of explosions across parts of the city were the result of ‘successful air defense operations.’
As the Gulf state continues to censor photos and information about Iranian attacks to maintain a façade of safety, people quickly turned to social media to thank the Emirati defense system.
One person wrote on X: ‘It was a huge sound… everyone is terrified here. We thought it’s a missile sound but thanks Allah it was interception.’
