File photo: US President Donald Trump
TOI correspondent from Washington: US President Donald Trump on Sunday, in a vulgar social media post worthy of a vulgar streetfighter, threatened to rain down hellfire on Iran if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz and called its leaders “crazy fuckers.”” “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran, all wrapped into one. Nothing like it will happen!!! Open the F***** Strait, you crazy ********, or you’ll be in Hell – just watch! Praise Allah,” Trump posted on Easter Sunday, an important Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after his crucifixion.
The tone and language of the post were so vile and unexpected that news outlets fact-checked whether the US President had actually posted such a message, only to confirm that he had. Trump’s post reflected an air of frustration, with some US analysts speculating that he was growing frustrated at not being able to rein in Iran, despite rescuing a US airman stranded in the Iranian desert in a daring operation just hours earlier. In a telephone interview with Fox News after his post, Trump said he hoped to reach a deal with Iran tomorrow (Monday) and that his team was in talks with some Iranian leaders who have been granted pardons. Trump was quoted as saying, “If they don’t make a deal and don’t do it quickly, I’m considering blowing up everything and taking over the oil. You’ll see bridges and power plants falling down all over their country.”But Iran pointedly taunted Trump in social media posts from its state media, suggesting that no official talks were taking place and that US negotiators were talking with forces Washington hoped to overthrow the ruling regime in Iran. In an earlier post, Trump warned Iran that “they will be ruled by hell within 48 hours”, hinting at the possibility of extended attacks on Iranian infrastructure, which the angry US president appears to support. 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 attacks on 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 in policy and legal circles, with critics warning that such an approach would risk collectively punishing Iran’s civilian population. Any widespread infrastructure attack could have devastating humanitarian consequences on the already long-suffering Iranian population. But proponents within the Pentagon argue that modern warfare is increasingly blurring the line between civilian and military infrastructure, arguing that impairing these systems is necessary to limit Tehran’s ability to wage war and develop advanced weapons, including drones and missiles, that have vexed the US and Israel. America has also attacked steel plants in Iran. Opponents say such attacks risk violating international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of proportionality and discrimination. He also warned that targeting infrastructure could be strategically counterproductive, hardening Iranian public opinion and strengthening the regime’s resolve. The international community also appears uneasy, with European analysts expressing concern about the dynamics of the surge, while humanitarian organizations warn of widespread impacts on water, healthcare and food supply systems.