Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday brushed aside a question on whether his actions in the Iran war could amount to a war crime, responding tersely during an exchange with reporters at the White House.
Asked directly: “Are you committed to committing a war crime in this war with Iran?,” Trump replied: “What else?”
The brief response came amid a wider back-and-forth on the ongoing conflict, where Trump defended the US campaign and reiterated his justification for the war.
He maintained that the conflict is centred on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “They’re foolish, because the war is about one thing — Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump also described the scale of US military action in stark terms. “Because we are obliterating that country. And I hate to do it, but we’re obliterating,” he said, while warning of further escalation if Iran does not yield.
He argued that Iran’s military capability has been significantly degraded. “They can’t fight back. They have no capability… they have some missiles left. They have some drones left, but essentially, they have no capability,” Trump said.
At the same time, Trump suggested that the war could end quickly under certain conditions. “Well, it could end very quickly, the war, if they do what they have to do. They have to do certain things,” he said.
The President also defended US actions by linking them to broader regional security concerns. He said that without his earlier decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal, “Israel would have been gone, extinguished.”
During the exchange, Trump was also pressed on civilian impact and conditions inside Iran. He claimed that Iranians want the conflict to continue until change occurs. “The Iranian people, when they don’t hear bombs go off, they’re upset. They want to hear bombs because they want to be free,” he said.
He further alleged that protests inside Iran are suppressed with lethal force, saying demonstrators would be “immediately shot” if they take to the streets.
Trump also referred to casualty figures among protesters. “As of this morning… 45,000 protesters have been killed,” he said, calling it “pretty bad”.
The remarks came during a public event at the White House, where the President took multiple questions on the war and US strategy in the region.
The exchange underscores growing scrutiny around the conduct of the war, particularly as civilian impact and rules of engagement draw international attention.
(IANS)
