The news on Monday was dominated by Trump’s renewed threats to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran. He did so at a news conference ostensibly designed to brief the American people on the rescue of the two crew members of a downed F-15. But, as usual, Trump managed to turn a news conference about a dramatic rescue of two soldiers into a news conference about himself. See Reuters, Trump seizes on rescue of downed airman to recast unpopular Iran war.
Trump dangled the possibility of a peace deal in the next twenty-four hours while simultaneously threatening (once again) to bomb Iran back “to the Stone Age.” See Talking Points Memo, Trump Doubles Down on Threats to Blow Up Iran’s Infrastructure Tomorrow.
Trump said,
We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business — burning, exploding, and never to be used again,” he said during a rambling press conference Monday, referencing his previous (supposed) ultimatum to Iranian regime leaders to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? No,” the president continued. “It will take them 100 years to rebuild. Right now, if we left today, it would take them 20 years to rebuild their country, and it would never be as good as it was.
Trump threatened to accomplish the destruction in a single night—Tuesday. See The Guardian, ‘Iran can be taken out in one night, and that might be tomorrow night,’ says Trump.
A reporter asked Trump if destroying bridges and power plants would punish the Iranian people rather than Iran’s military and political leaders. Incredibly (as in, not believable), Trump asserted that the Iranian people were asking Trump to bomb the infrastructure that supports Iran’s civilian population. Per The Guardian (above),
[T]he president also claimed on Monday that Iranian civilians were actively welcoming US strikes on their country’s infrastructure, saying they would be “willing to suffer” the loss of power and basic services in order to achieve freedom from the Islamic republic.
Trump frequently fabricates stories (a.k.a “lies”) as he meanders from delusion to delusion. I am not in a position to refute Trump’s claim about Iranians asking to be bombed, but it does not ring true. Few people would welcome the destruction of the infrastructure that delivers electricity, water, and food, and removes waste from cities and towns.
If Trump follows through with his threats, tens of millions of Iranians will immediately become food- and water-insecure. See Iran International (from 6/1/25, before the current war), ‘Life has become hell’: Iranians struggle with power and water cuts. (“There’s no electricity, so the water pumps stop working. Life becomes impossible. You can’t even flush the toilet,” said one resident . . . .”)
Depriving tens of millions of civilians of power, water, food, and waste removal could result in mass starvation and displacement, which is why targeting infrastructure is a war crime. See NBC News, Sen. Van Hollen calls Trump’s threats to Iran ‘unhinged’
“He’s definitely threatening a war crime against the people of Iran, because he’s essentially saying that if they don’t open the Strait of Hormuz that he’s going to destroy their civilian infrastructure, destroy power plants, destroy bridges,” Van Hollen, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee . . . .”
Per Politico, the Pentagon is revising Trump’s target list to address the claims of threatened war crimes. See Politico, Pentagon’s new plans in Iran give Trump a way out of war crime accusations.
The Pentagon is expanding a list of Iranian energy sites it can target for attacks to include ones that provide fuel and power to both civilians and the military, a likely workaround if the administration is accused of war crimes for striking basic infrastructure.
War planners are revising the list, according to two defense officials, as American and Israeli warplanes search for new targets after five weeks of around-the-clock strikes on military sites and U.S. ground troops surge into the region. The dual-use nature of the targets would make them legitimate, the officials said.
It is simply not true that every “dual-use” target is fair game for destruction in war. If a desalination plant provides drinking water for a 500-person military base and a 2-million-person city, destroying the desalination plant might constitute a war crime. See CSIS, Could Iran Disrupt the Gulf Countries’ Desalinated Water Supplies? This article discusses Iran’s threats to strike the infrastructure of neighboring Gulf countries, but the analysis applies to the US, as well.
Per the CSIS article,
Article 54(2) of the 1977 Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions expressly prohibits attacking or destroying “objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as . . . drinking water installations and supplies.” Targeting such essential civilian infrastructure violates international law and could constitute a war crime.
The bona fides of the “dual use” explanation is belied by Trump’s repeated claims that he will bomb Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages” if Iran does not agree to a settlement. That threat is prima facie evidence that bombing targets because they are “dual use” is mere pretext. See Trump threatens to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants: Is that a war crime? | Vox
“The targeting is not being driven by considerations of military advantage, but to politically coerce the opposing party and inflicting pain, things which would not be legitimate aims,” said Brian Finucane, a former State Department legal adviser now with the International Crisis Group.
Neither Trump nor the Pentagon seems deterred by such arguments. Given the muted response by the media and the non-response by Republicans (and many Democrats), Trump and Hegseth see little political risk in proceeding with their plan to wage war on civilians.
For example, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board barely arched an eyebrow in response to Trump’s threat to commit war crimes. See WSJ Editorial, Trump’s Ultimatum Target List in Iran. (Gift article, accessible to all.)
The WSJ Editorial Board wrote,
Taken literally, Mr. Trump is proposing to hit many targets that would harm Iranian civilians, which could spark a refugee crisis.
Striking indiscriminately at critical infrastructure would be wrong as well as unwise, punishing the Iranian people we need on our side.
“Wrong and unwise” does not convey the legal and moral weight of “war crime.” But that is the extent of the WSJ Editorial Board’s criticism of Trump’s plan to starve and plunge into darkness tens of millions of Iranians. But it is better than the NY Times editorial about Trump’s threats. As of Monday evening, the NY Times Editorial Board has not added its voice to a slow-motion, unfolding disaster of potentially immense proportions.
It is not clear what will happen at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday. Per the WSJ (above), the Iranians rejected Trump’s last offer (temporary ceasefire in exchange for opening the Strait of Hormuz) and countered with “a permanent cease-fire and full sanctions relief but without the nuclear and other concessions” such as reopening the Strait.
So, as of Monday evening, there is no “deal,” and Trump’s latest ultimatum expires on Tuesday evening. Trump has a reputation for folding at the last moment, but claims this time, he is serious. See AP News, Trump has delayed deadlines for Iran, but suggests Tuesday’s is final.
We will meet again tomorrow to discuss further events. Let’s hope that senior military officers refuse to carry out strikes on civilian infrastructure, forcing Trump to cease hostilities.
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Opportunities for Reader Engagement
Meet Dan Osborn, Independent Candidate from Nebraska for US Senate
Join me as I host an event for Dan Osborn, an independent candidate for US Senate from Nebraska. A second event for Dan Osborn will be hosted by the Downtown Nasty Womaka
Can a union industrial mechanic fighting for working-class voters beat the child of billionaires? Last cycle, readers of this newsletter gave Nebraska Independent Candidate Dan Osborn his best fundraiser in the final month of his race. This year, we are meeting with Osborn early to get an update on the contest (polls show it’s tied) and help get him from 46.5% to winning! For background, Dan is the former president of his union, a Navy veteran, and a Nebraska National Guardsman. Watch his launch video here
When: Monday**,** April 13, at 8:00 pm Eastern/ 5:00 pm Pacific on Zoom.Moderated by Robert Hubbell.
No donation required, but of course welcome: Donate here.
Hosted by Downtown Nasty Women, Markers For Democracy, Team Min, 31st Street Swing Left, and Senate Circle.
Virginia Redistricting: Voter Conversation Training on Zoom with Liz Chur
April 7 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern
Whether you’re talking with strangers or chatting with friends at a dinner party, whether you plan to canvass or phonebank, this workshop will help you have effective conversations with voters about Virginia’s upcoming redistricting referendum on April 21. Many voters are not yet aware of this special election—or what the proposed constitutional amendment would do: Help Democrats win four more seats in the US House! Join us to learn how to explain the issue clearly, build trust with voters, and help ensure people understand what’s at stake.
Elizabeth Chur, author of*The Joy of Talking Politics with Strangers,* will lead one of her renowned virtual training workshops. She’ll share practical strategies for building rapport and earning voters’ trust, demonstrate how to explain this complex issue in clear, understandable terms, and offer approaches for helping voters work through any mixed feelings about the proposed amendment.
Concluding Thoughts
I am receiving a high volume of email from readers who are concerned and angry about Trump’s war on Iran in general and his threats to destroy infrastructure in particular. Many readers are urging the removal of JD Vance and Trump, either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment (for Trump). While realizing those goals may be difficult or effectively impossible, we must tell our elected officials that impeachment and removal are the only appropriate remedies.
I was struck by a note from a reader who lives in the greater Washington, D.C. area. She expressed her frustration and dismay at the current state of affairs in America. She wrote,
Today I felt so distraught, I went by myself to a Beltway overpass near my house and held up my “Impeach Trump“ sign. Not much honking, but enough to keep my spirits up. I also, for the first time ever, called my senators and spoke my mind about the horrific situation we are in.
The reader is an inspiration and an example to us all. Action is the antidote to anxiety. Sometimes, the mere act of resistance is enough to keep us going. We may never see the fruits of our action, but it is possible that the sight of a lonely figure on an overpass holding an “Impeach Trump” sign is enough to make a difference in the lives of passing motorists. Although we cannot know how many people we will reach, we do know that if we do not try, we will reach no one.
Moreover, the reader’s action should instill confidence in those who worry whether the No Kings Day 3.0 rally was “big enough” to make a difference. That question is answerable only in the fullness of time. For now, we can continue to protest as a means of protecting democracy. That is enough. It is more than enough. If hundreds of thousands of Americans followed the example of the reader who emailed the note above and staged “one-person protests,” the collective heft of those solitary demonstrations would be more powerful and reach more people than a single-day protest of 10 million people.
Don’t give up. Don’t surrender to despair or helplessness. Our voices are being heard. Whether they make a difference in the short term may be uncertain, but they will make a difference in the long term.
So, to the reader who felt distraught and responded by staging a one-person protest on an overpass near D.C., I say, “Thank you! Keep up the good work! You are an inspiration and example to us all.”
Talk to you tomorrow!
Pro-democracy protest photos
[Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Include city and state. Please, no texts, zip files, or cloud-based photo links. Thanks!]
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Oakland, CA
Visibility brigade in Superior, Colorado on Monday, April 6. Lots of drivers honked in agreement!
Boulder County, CO
Retired NPS and USFS employees at the free speech area in Sequoia National Park’s Giant Forest to educate visitors about proposed cuts to public lands agencies on 4/6/26.
No Kings Bradenton
Portland, Oregon
Weekly protest in West Hartford CT 4/4/26. We recite the Preamble every week as a group too
Visibility brigade Hartford CT. Enthusiastic volunteer who braved rain and cold ! She gets great results from the truckers!
No Kings, Monona,WI
My sign at No Kings 3 in NYC.
Brewster, NY 4/6/26.
5 ICE cars were spotted in Brewster, NY early this morning so we put together a quick pop-up rally on Main Street. So now ICE knows we know they’re there. You can tint your windows but you can’t hide!
Oakland, CA
Marshfield, MO No Kings Protest
Grants Pass, Oregon
3-28, Bradenton, FL, 95-yr-old father.
ndivisible Jersey Shore Blue marched with other progressives and local clergy through Newark, NJ to Delaney Hall immigrant detention center in support of the detainees.
Protesting 7 days a week since April 2025, noon-1 on Post Office corner in our small town of Belfast Maine despite freezing cold, snow and rain. Looking forward to spring wishing we didn’t have to be here but we will not give up or go away.
Englewood FL
From the State House steps in Montpellier Vermont thousands rally for No Kings 3. Anti fascist knitted red hats abound
No Kings Day Pittsboro NC
NK3 Amsterdam, NL
Brattleboro, Vermont
Lamentations from an American abroad - Zürich. 3/28 NKD demonstration organized by Democrats Abroad in Zürich Switzerland
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