Trump Rejects Iran Peace Plan, Threatens War Crimes Against Civilian Infrastructure

Trump Sets War Crime Deadline

Donald Trump has given Iran until 8pm Tuesday to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz—or face deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure including power plants and bridges. In a profanity-laced Truth Social post Sunday, Trump wrote: "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 bastards, or you'll be living in Hell."

Targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime under international humanitarian law. Human rights organizations and members of Congress have condemned the threat, but Trump appears undeterred as his administration escalates a conflict that has already spread across the Gulf region and displaced 1.2 million people in Lebanon.

Iran Proposes Permanent Peace, Trump Wants Surrender

Through Pakistani mediators in Islamabad, Iran has put forward a 10-point proposal calling for a permanent end to hostilities rather than the temporary ceasefire the US has demanded. According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the plan includes protocols for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of sanctions, regional conflict resolution, and reconstruction assistance.

Trump called the proposal "a significant step" but "not good enough" while renewing his threat: "If they don't make a deal, they will have no bridges and no power plants."

An unnamed US official who reviewed Iran's response told Axios it was "maximalist"—the same word US diplomats used last month to describe Washington's own 15-point plan, which Iran rejected as "extremely maximalist and unreasonable."

The US Plan Iran Already Rejected

That earlier US proposal, delivered through Pakistan in late March, demanded a 30-day ceasefire, complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear facilities, limits on Iran's missile program, and reopening of the strait. In exchange, the US offered sanctions relief and help with electricity generation at one power plant.

Iran rejected the temporary ceasefire outright, arguing it would simply give the US and Israel time to regroup for further attacks—exactly what happened during Israel's 12-day war on Iran in June. The US joined that conflict for one day, bombing three major Iranian nuclear sites. Trump claimed at the time he had destroyed Iran's nuclear program, yet months later justified the current war by claiming Iran posed an "imminent nuclear threat."

The UN's nuclear watchdog has repeatedly stated Iran is not in a position to produce a nuclear weapon. Iran has maintained for years that its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes only.

A Pattern of Sabotaging Diplomacy

The current war began February 28—while the US was supposedly negotiating with Iran through Omani mediators. On the eve of the attack, Oman had announced a deal was "within reach."

This follows a familiar pattern. In 2015, Iran signed an international agreement limiting its nuclear program to 3.6 percent uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump unilaterally withdrew from that deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. After Israel bombed Iran's Natanz nuclear facility in 2021, Iran responded by enriching uranium to nearly 60 percent—still well below the 90 percent required for weapons, but a clear signal that Trump's "maximum pressure" strategy had backfired.

Now, with the Strait of Hormuz choked nearly closed and 20 percent of global oil and gas supplies disrupted, Trump is threatening to commit war crimes unless Iran capitulates to terms that amount to unconditional surrender.

What Happens Tuesday

As of Monday, the US and Israel hit Iran's top university and a major petrochemical plant. Iranian and US negotiators have not met face-to-face about the Pakistani-proposed 45-day truce, and Tehran has denied holding direct talks with US envoys despite Trump's claims otherwise.

With less than 24 hours until Trump's deadline, a ceasefire appears increasingly unlikely. Iran has made clear it will retaliate against attacks on civilian infrastructure. The US president, meanwhile, is openly threatening to plunge millions of Iranians into darkness and destroy critical transportation links—acts that would constitute collective punishment of a civilian population.

The world is watching to see whether Trump will follow through on threats that violate the Geneva Conventions, or whether cooler heads will prevail before Tuesday night arrives.