Former United States Vice President Kamala Harris joined a broad coalition of Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday in denouncing President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure, calling it a potential war crime, even as Trump announced a two-week ceasefire before his own self-imposed deadline expired.
Trump had warned earlier on Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran did not comply with his administration’s demands by 8 p.m. Eastern Time, threatening to order strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges unless Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which around a fifth of global oil and gas supply flows, has remained largely blocked since the start of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, placing mounting pressure on global energy markets.
Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, responded sharply on the social platform X, accusing Trump of starting a conflict with no strategy for ending it, endangering American service members, and damaging the country’s international standing. She called on the public to oppose funding what she described as an illegal war of choice.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow senior Democrats issued a joint statement condemning Trump’s words, writing that intentionally destroying power, water, or basic infrastructure upon which tens of millions of civilians depend would constitute a war crime, a betrayal of national values, and a moral failure.
Senator Elissa Slotkin, a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst, warned that targeting civilians on a mass scale would constitute a clear violation of the law of armed conflict as laid out in the Geneva Conventions, and revived calls for service members to refuse illegal orders if issued.
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a retired Navy captain, argued the proposed strikes on civilian infrastructure would be difficult to justify under the laws of armed conflict and would mark a serious stain on the military’s record. The United Nations also warned that Trump’s threats to target Iran’s power plants and bridges could constitute war crimes if carried out.
Before the deadline expired, Trump announced a two-week suspension of the planned large-scale attack on Iran, citing a 10-point peace proposal received from Tehran as a workable basis for negotiation, contingent on Iran’s agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who played a key role in mediating talks between Washington and Tehran, expressed gratitude to the leadership of both countries, saying both parties had displayed remarkable wisdom and remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, at least 1,900 people have been killed in Iran and 20,000 injured since the conflict began. Thirteen U.S. military service members have also been killed, with more than 300 wounded, according to U.S. Central Command.
