The Trump administration pushed back against accusations that President Donald Trump‘s threat to destroy Iran‘s infrastructure would amount to a war crime, with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz characterizing such claims as legally baseless. The remarks come as a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan nears its Wednesday expiration date.
Mike Waltz comments on Donald Trump’s recent threats to Iran
Appearing on ABC’s This Week, U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz defended President Donald Trump’s warning on Sunday that the United States would “knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran” if a deal is not reached. “All options are on the table, absolutely,” Waltz told anchor Jonathan Karl. “We could take that infrastructure out relatively easily. The Iranian air defenses have been absolutely decimated.”
Waltz moved preemptively to counter criticism that targeting such facilities would violate international humanitarian law. “Just to get ahead of a lot of the critics and hand-wringing, throwing out irresponsible terms like ‘war crimes,’ attacking, destroying infrastructure that has clearly and historically been used for dual military purposes is not a war crime.”
KARL: Is the president really prepared to go back to full-on war? Is he prepared to destroy every power plant and bridge in Iran?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 19, 2026
MIKE WALTZ: Well, all options are on the table, absolutely. That's not a war crime.
KARL: He's saying every bridge in the country. That's not a war… pic.twitter.com/WXX84pO6DL
When Karl noted Donald Trump specifically referenced “every bridge and power plant,” Waltz acknowledged the escalation but drew a historical parallel. “That would be an escalatory ladder,” Waltz said. “Of course, we bombed and took down bridges, other infrastructure, power plants,” he added, referencing World War II.
The ambassador reiterated his position during a separate appearance on CBS, calling the war crime framing “a false, fake, and ridiculous notion.” Waltz specifically cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ control over certain assets. “Bridges, power plants that are run by the IRGC, which runs the entire military, are absolute legitimate military targets, not only now, but have been historically.”
The administration’s stance was condemned by Tehran. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports as “unlawful and criminal.” Furthermore, he labeled it a “war crime and crime against humanity.”
Under Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, attacks on civilian objects are prohibited, as are strikes expected to cause civilian harm “excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.”
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
