Trump Threatens to Destroy "Entire Country" of Iran as Self-Imposed Deadline Looms

President Donald Trump spent Tuesday threatening to annihilate Iran's civilian infrastructure and wipe out "a whole civilization" if the country's leaders don't capitulate to his self-imposed 8 p.m. deadline for a peace deal.

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."

The threat is the latest escalation in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has reportedly blocked. Trump has demanded Tehran reopen the waterway and accept a ceasefire proposal -- or face devastating military strikes on bridges, power plants, and other infrastructure across the country.

At a Monday news conference flanked by senior military officials, Trump said bluntly: "The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night."

When asked if bombing power plants and bridges constitutes a war crime, Trump said no -- but added he hopes he doesn't "have to do it."

Strikes Already Underway

The threats aren't purely hypothetical. U.S. forces conducted strikes Tuesday on Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, targeting military sites including bunkers, a radar station, and ammunition storage facilities, according to Fox News.

Vice President JD Vance, speaking to reporters in Hungary, confirmed the Kharg Island strikes and said the U.S. would hold off on hitting energy infrastructure until Trump's deadline passes -- but only if Iran agrees to a deal.

"If the Iranians want to exact a certain amount of pain, the United States has the ability to exact much, much greater pain," Vance said. "The ball is in the Iranians' court."

Tehran has rejected Trump's 45-day ceasefire proposal, demanding instead a permanent end to hostilities. Iranian officials are now urging young people to form human chains around power plants to deter U.S. strikes.

"Textbook War Crime"

Trump's threats have triggered alarm from legal experts, lawmakers, and international officials who say deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure violates the Geneva Conventions.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., called the proposed operation a "textbook war crime." Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., announced she would introduce articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling him the "chief enabler of an illegal war."

"Iran is a country of 90 million people," Ansari said in a video posted to X. "Threatening them with annihilation is a monstrous war crime and puts them and American service members and Americans at grave risk."

With Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress, any impeachment effort faces long odds. But the pushback reflects broader unease about the legality and humanitarian consequences of Trump's threats.

A United Nations spokesperson said he was "alarmed" by Trump's rhetoric. "Civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, may not be attacked," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Even if the specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective, international humanitarian law would still prohibit attacks against them if they may be expected to cause excessive incidental civilian harm."

Gray Areas and Precedents

The Pentagon's Law of War manual is clear: civilian infrastructure can only be targeted if it has a direct military use and destroying it provides a definite military advantage. Any strike must also account for potential civilian casualties.

A U.S. defense official told Axios that last week's strike on one of Iran's largest bridges was justified because Iranian forces used it to move missiles and missile parts. But bridges and power plants that serve both military and civilian purposes occupy legal gray areas.

During the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. crippled Iraq's electrical grid, arguing the plants powered military command and control systems. The Pentagon said it sought to minimize casualties, but acknowledged it was impossible to destroy military power supplies without affecting hospitals, water purification, and the broader civilian population.

Michael Eisenstadt, director of the military and security studies program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted there are ways to temporarily disable infrastructure that limit humanitarian impact. But he acknowledged the sensitivity of strikes on civilian systems.

"A lot of this critical infrastructure is dual-use," Eisenstadt said. "Bridges and roads are used by both the military and the civilian sector."

That legal nuance is unlikely to comfort the 90 million Iranians who could lose access to electricity, clean water, and transportation if Trump follows through on his threats. As the deadline approached Tuesday evening, Trump gave no indication he would extend it -- despite having done so with previous ultimatums.