US-Iran war: Trump threatens escalation amid reported talks — ‘bridges next, then electric powerplants’

Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) threatened to destroy Iran's bridges and energy infrastructure as the war dragged into its fifth week despite the US President's claims of ongoing negotiations.

"Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran (sic)," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, hinting of more military action to come.

"Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!," the US President threatened, adding, "New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST! (sic)"

Earlier, Trump had repeatedly stated that the vast majority of major military targets in Iran have already been damaged or destroyed over the past month of the war, which began on 28 February, sparked by US-Israeli strikes against Tehran.

Shifting timelines

Since the war began, Trump has offered shifting timelines for the completion of US objectives in Iran, and has even claimed victory multiple times.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Trump in a televised speech had also warned of an escalation, threatening broad strikes against infrastructure and energy facilities — "We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two ​to three weeks. We are going to bring them back to the ​Stone Ages, ⁠where they belong," the US President had said.

During the address, Trump also claimed that Washington was close to achieving its objectives, but refrained from offering a concrete timeline for the same.

US committing war crimes?

Trump's latest threat to Iran — warning of strikes against infrastructure — is likely to alarm American legal experts who, in a recent open letter, warned that Washington's strikes could constitute war crimes.

More than 100 international law experts in the US, including from top-tier universities like ⁠Harvard, Yale, Stanford and the University of California, said in the letter, released on Thursday that ​the conduct of American forces and statements by senior US officials "raise serious concerns about violations of international ​human rights law and international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes."

The Geneva Conventions of 1949 on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for ‌civilians.

Talks continue between Washington and Tehran

Trump's comment also comes amid reported talks between Washington and Tehran — Israel's Channel 12 reported Thursday that indirect talks took place between US Vice President J D Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, adding that the negotiations were being mediated by Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

The most recent round of talks took place on Tuesday, when Vance allegedly told Tehran that Washington would be open to a ceasefire if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

The Times of Israel reported that Vance also informed Tehran of Trump's waning patience, evident in the US President's latest social media post.