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WASHINGTON: The specter of a wider war has deepened after US President Donald Trump reiterated sweeping threats against Iran, even as he signaled cautious support for Pakistan\u2019s mediation efforts to avert a full-scale conflict.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a White House news conference<\/a> on Monday, Trump repeated his familiar assertions about American military supremacy. \u201cThe entire country can be taken out in one night<\/a>, and that night might be tomorrow night,\u201d he said, outlining a scenario in which \u201cevery bridge in Iran will be decimated\u2026 every power plant\u2026 burning, exploding and never to be used again,\u201d claiming reconstruction could take \u201c100 years.\u201d<\/p>\n The repeated threats<\/a> have triggered alarm not only on Capitol Hill but also within American legal circles. More than 100 US-based international law scholars recently signed an open letter expressing concern that attacks on civilian infrastructure<\/a> could violate the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, warning that sweeping strikes on bridges, power plants and other essential facilities raise serious questions under the laws of armed conflict.<\/p>\n The legal concerns now intersect with deep partisan divisions in Washington, where Democrats warn that the president\u2019s threats could amount to war crimes, while many Republicans frame the rhetoric as strategic leverage and grant him broad latitude.<\/p>\n Some Democrats are also urging Republicans to call Congress back from recess to vote on a war powers resolution aimed at checking the president\u2019s military actions.<\/p>\n Congressman Jason Crow, D-Col., told MS NOW<\/em> it was time for \u201cAmericans of all stripes\u201d to stand up and \u201ccondemn what the President is saying and say, \u2018We will not tolerate it, and we will seek accountability if he moves forward with it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Senator Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., warned that if the president\u2019s threats are carried out, they would \u201cviolate the law of armed conflict as laid out in the Geneva Conventions.\u201d Congressman Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine veteran, accused Trump of \u201cgleefully threatening to commit war crimes in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the president as \u201cranting like an unhinged madman,\u201d while Senator Chris Van Hollen posted that \u201ctargeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime & only solidifies the regime\u2019s power.\u201d<\/p>\n Progressive Democrat Yassamin Ansari, the first American Iranian elected to Congress, highlighted the human cost of escalation: \u201cSharif University is Iran\u2019s MIT. They\u2019ve produced a huge number of engineers who\u2019ve gone on to Silicon Valley and founded some of the most successful American tech companies. Why are we bombing a university in a city of 10 million people?\u201d<\/p>\n Republicans have largely framed the president\u2019s rhetoric as strategic pressure rather than operational intent. Senator Joni Ernst, a veteran, defended the approach, saying \u201cit\u2019s an ongoing operation, and if he needs leverage, he\u2019s using that leverage.\u201d On the question of whether striking power plants and bridges would amount to war crimes, she added that the civilian resources in question are \u201cbeing used by the military, there\u2019s no doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n Congressman Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he had \u201cmixed feelings\u201d on the issue, while Congressman Clay Higgins, R-La., urged Trump to \u201chit\u201d the Iranians \u201charder than ever Mr. President.\u201d<\/p>\n Even as he escalates threats, Trump acknowledged that diplomacy is ongoing. He described Iran as an \u201cactive, willing participant\u201d in negotiations and said indirect talks through intermediaries are \u201cgoing well.\u201d Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkey, is engaged in shuttle diplomacy, with Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff coordinating the outreach.<\/p>\n The volatility on the ground underscores the risks of miscalculation. US General Caine, describing this week\u2019s rescue mission, said: \u201cEvery Iranian who had a small gun was shooting at us.\u201d The remark captures the combustible atmosphere in which sweeping threats and fragile diplomacy now coexist.<\/p>\n For Pakistan, disputes in Washington over legality and morality, have created a high-stakes environment in which the prospects for both war and peace remain finely balanced. Whether Islamabad\u2019s efforts can convert this tenuous window into meaningful de-escalation may ultimately determine if the crisis spirals into a wider regional conflict or retreats from the brink.<\/p>\n