In April, after President Trump threatened to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said, “Under international law, deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are war crimes.”
The 1949 Geneva Convention on Humanitarian Conduct in Time of War prohibits attacks on places deemed essential to civilians.
“I will save the energy goals for last, but ultimately we will achieve them,” Trump said in an interview on “Special Report on Brett Bayer” that aired Tuesday night.
He said U.S. negotiators told Iran Tuesday evening that “it would be a good idea to negotiate.” Otherwise there will be nothing left.
The escalation of rhetoric occurs later. President Trump said the 20% toll he had threatened to impose on the Strait of Hormuz would be replaced with a “massive” trade and investment deal with Gulf countries. His announcement came hours before the United States resumed its blockade of Iranian ports.
The resumption of strikes between the United States and Iran has led to a virtual halt in oil tanker traffic through the strait, sending oil prices soaring.
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said late Tuesday it had “launched additional strikes against Iran to continue to degrade Iran’s capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in key waterways.”
U.S. Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement late Tuesday that Iran “intentionally targeted civilians in the region” by attacking seven merchant ships, “leaving nearly a dozen civilian crew members dead, missing or injured.”
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Iranian cruise missiles targeted two of its oil tankers on Monday night, killing one Indian crew member and seriously wounding eight others.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later said in a statement to Telegram that the two tankers ignored warnings, turned off their navigation systems and attempted to pass through the mine’s path.
It is unclear what other attacks the Centcom statement referred to. The IRGC had no immediate comment.
Kuwait’s military said it was intercepting Iranian attack drones in the early hours of Wednesday, and Bahrain activated its air raid sirens.
“Kuwait’s air defense forces are currently engaging in hostile drone attacks following vicious attacks by Iran,” the Kuwaiti military said. Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior urged citizens and residents to remain calm and evacuate to the nearest safe location.
Tehran said Tuesday it had struck U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Jordan after earlier attacking two United Arab Emirates oil tankers.
The continued air strikes highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran accuses the United States of interfering in its management of Hormuz. But controlling it means Tehran could threaten the global economy.
President Trump declared on Monday that the United States is now the “guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz and pledged to impose a 20% fee on all cargo transported through the waterway to protect it.
President Trump said the United States would reimpose a naval blockade of Iran to further pressure its struggling economy.
“I have decided to replace the 20% US refund fee with trade and investment deals that various Gulf countries will enter into with the United States,” Trump wrote in a recent post on Truth Social.
“These investments will be huge, but they will also be very beneficial to them and their future.” The US president did not provide further details.
He also said the strait is “open to all ships except Iranians,” and that “thanks to the mighty power of the U.S. military, oil is flowing like never before.”
“I don’t like the idea of a fee, but at the same time, it’s unfair that we protect this strait for the whole world,” Trump said after meeting in Washington with Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
He said he changed his initial fee plan after receiving numerous calls from Gulf leaders.
In response to President Trump’s announcement, Iran said it would continue to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Trump’s decision to blockade in some ways dismantled a previously agreed cease-fire agreement, AFP reported.
“It would be a mistake to think that the United States will strengthen its measures against us and force us to return to negotiations through military action and economic blockade,” Garibabadi told state television.
The United States first imposed a naval blockade of all Iranian ports in April to put pressure on Tehran. About five weeks later, the U.S. military said the blockade had diverted 100 merchant ships and disabled four.
The United States lifted the blockade in June with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries to end the conflict, but the dispute over the strait has emerged as a key issue.
Meanwhile, shipping data showed traffic through the strait slowed to its lowest level in two months. Benchmark Brent crude oil prices also rose significantly.
