Washington, DC -- Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued a statement on Trump’s threats to strike Iranian civilian infrastructure, which is a war crime:

“Threatening to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges is not a strategy, it is a war crime. This is not who we are. These threats are reckless, they are illegal under international humanitarian law, and they put nearly 100 million Iranian civilians at risk of catastrophic harm.

“The president’s threats raise urgent questions this administration has not answered: Has it fully considered the scale of potential Iranian retaliation against U.S. personnel and partners in the region? Has it assessed the likelihood of massive refugee flows or food shortages that could destabilize neighboring countries and strain our allies? Has it accounted for the impact on global energy markets and rising costs for American families at the gas pump? I believe the administration has not bothered to plan for any of these contingencies, just as it has failed to plan for Trump’s war of choice.

“At this critical moment, the United States must pursue immediate de-escalation and a coordinated diplomatic strategy with our allies. We cannot allow Iran to simply reset to a dangerous status quo -- but the answer is not to threaten war crimes and isolate us from every partner we need to end this conflict.

“There is still time to change course. But threatening to destroy a nation of 100 million people without a strategy, without allied coordination, and without a plan for what comes next is not strength. It is recklessness that America and the region will pay for long after this president is gone.” 

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