President Donald Trump warned April 6 that the U.S. military will destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran unless the country reopens the Strait of Hormuz and agrees to U.S. demands by his deadline of 8 p.m. ET April 7.
Speaking to reporters at a White House news conference, Trump said the strikes would leave Iran’s infrastructure “burning, exploding, and never to be used again” if no deal is reached. He said the operation could unfold “over a period of four hours if we want it to,” adding that every bridge and power plant “will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night.”
“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump warned.
President Trump on Iran: "The entire country could be taken out in one night. And that night might be tomorrow night." pic.twitter.com/pJ0NqxIMpZ
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 6, 2026
He also said his administration doesn’t “want that to happen” and the U.S. “may even get involved with helping them rebuild their nation.”
When asked earlier in the day how targeting civilian bridges and power plants would not constitute a war crime under international law, Trump replied, “Because they killed 45,000 people in the last month, more than that. It could be as much as 60. They killed protesters.”
President Trump is asked to explain how targeting bridges and power plants in Iran would not constitute a war crime:
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) April 6, 2026
"They killed 45,000 people in the last month, more than that, could be as much as 60,000. They kill protesters, they're animals." pic.twitter.com/GkWPU5D2kq
“They’re animals, and we have to stop them,” he said. “We can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
During the news conference, Trump also said he was “not at all” concerned about committing war crimes. Under international humanitarian law, civilian infrastructure — including bridges and power plants — is generally protected from direct attack unless used for military purposes.
Trump’s latest deadline originated in a Truth Social post April 5, Easter Sunday. In the post, he declared that “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F--kin’ Strait, you crazy b-stards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!” He signed off “Praise be to Allah.” Trump had initially set an April 6 deadline but extended it, telling reporters it was “inappropriate” to strike the day after Easter.
On March 30, Trump had also threatened to "completely obliterate" all of Iran's "Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)," similarly prompting questions from reporters about whether such strikes would constitute a war crime under international law. As Zeale News previously reported, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the time that the administration "will always act within the confines of the law.”