The 2026 Iran War escalation (war crimes brewing?)

[C C]

2WAY
https://youtu.be/eaCDNzgQSU0

VIDEO EXCERPTS: The New York Times basically just asserted that the President is about to commit a war crime: "Trump revels in threats to commit war crimes in Iran". Kind of an incredible headline given that not everyone agrees with that analysis.

[...] So here's my question on this war crime issue, Melissa. The President's not going to be arrested by anybody, but is it unwise -- whether you think it's a matter of morality or hearts and minds or the law -- is it unwise for the President to hit civilian targets?

[...] Yes, I think it's unwise for the President to hit civilian targets.

[...] Okay. Hogan, do you think it's wise or unwise?

Well, first of all, they've said the whole thing has been unconstitutional, illegal from the outset. So, this is nothing new. [...] The Iranian regime and terrorists like to put military installations or operations beneath civilian targets. So if it's explained why that is done, if it's proven that there's something underneath it, then I think he's okay.

[...] What if the US and Israel start to hit civilian targets, maybe you can call them dual use -- they start to hit energy targets and the bombing becomes, as the President's post suggests, even more massive than what we've already seen. And we've seen some pretty massive hits so far.

And let's say the Iranians do hit back and start hitting hospitals and energy plants and schools, whatever they hit -- then what happens? If the escalation of targets happens, then what happens? Does that just keep going?

[...] There are going to be American weapons that have never been used before that are conventional, like in Venezuela, that are quite powerful. So Melissa, what happens at that point? Can there then be peace in the short term or once the lid is off of this, they're just going to destroy everything?

I think once the lid is off of this, we risk destroying everything. I think you're going to start seeing them firing into the neighboring countries in the Gulf, and then they're going to return fire. And Iran's regime, you know, the whole purpose right now is survival, and they see survival as defiance. And I think that they're going to continue to ratchet it up until they can't anymore.

[...] But there's no doubt there would be some type of retaliation. They've been firing off rockets all over the place. Even though we were told their capability had been diminished. The point is they still fire them off...

https://youtu.be/eaCDNzgQSU0

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/eaCDNzgQSU0

[Magical Realist]

The Iranian regime and terrorists like to put military installations or operations beneath civilian targets. So if it's explained why that is done, if it's proven that there's something underneath it, then I think he's okay.

Sounds like Israel's standard excuse for bombing Gaza's hospitals. The really neat thing about blowing up a civilian target is nobody can tell if there was something underneath it or not. It's pretty much just a pile of concrete rubble and twisted rebar and mangled bodies at that point. But heck, if our military intelligence says there was then it must be true, right? It's all just Hogsweat's "fog of war" after all!

[Syne]

...if it's proven that there's something underneath it, then I think he's okay.

Like Israel proving Hamas was operating under hospitals, they are then the ones committing the war crime of using human shields.
You don't get to be immune from attack/retaliation for committing war crimes.

[C C]

"The end of civilization" as war escalates
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new...074720.cms

EXCERPTS: The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its 39th day with a sharp escalation in military activity, widening regional involvement, and increasingly stark rhetoric from global leaders. Fresh Israeli airstrikes inside Iran, retaliatory missile fire, and mounting international concern over civilian infrastructure marked the latest phase of the war, even as ceasefire efforts faltered.

[...] Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that a whole civilization would die tonight, in a stark message addressing Iran and the escalating war in Middle East.

Iran has halted direct communication with the United States following Donald Trump’s warning to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization”, even as indirect negotiations through ceasefire mediators remain underway, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Middle Eastern officials.

The move, described by officials as a calculated signal of disapproval and defiance, has complicated efforts to secure a deal ahead of Trump’s stated 8 p.m. Tuesday Eastern Times deadline, though it has not derailed talks entirely.

Efforts to facilitate talks between the U.S. and Iran ​are ongoing, two Pakistani sources with ​knowledge of the discussions told Reuters on Tuesday, as U.S. strikes on ​Iran intensified and President Donald Trump's deadline to unleash "hell" neared. However, one of the sources, a senior security official, said Iran's overnight strikes on Saudi Arabia's industrial facilities linked to U.S. firms threatened to derail the talks.

Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a stark and dramatic warning about developments in Iran, suggesting that a “whole civilization” could be wiped out even as he hinted at the possibility of sweeping political change in the country. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

The former US president, who has been increasingly vocal on West Asia developments, appeared to suggest that a major turning point could be imminent, adding that “now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”

Framing the moment as historic, Trump said the world would soon witness “one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.” The post comes amid heightened tensions and uncertainty in the region, with no immediate official response from Iranian authorities to Trump’s remarks.

Iran’s oil hub under attack
Kharg Island, Iran’s most critical oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, has reportedly been hit by multiple strikes, Reuters reported citing Mehr News, marking a sharp escalation in an already tense standoff with the United States.

Intensified strikes and counterstrikes
Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire, with Iranian media reporting explosions in multiple locations.

“Moments ago, explosions were heard in parts of Tehran and Karaj,” local media outlets Fars and Mehr said on Telegram, as blasts rocked the capital and nearby areas. The Israeli military confirmed it was conducting a “wave” of airstrikes on Iranian territory. At the same time, it said its air defence systems were activated in response to missiles launched by Iran, indicating ongoing retaliatory strikes from Tehran.

Regional spillover widens
The conflict’s footprint expanded beyond Iran and Israel, with neighbouring countries increasingly drawn in.

Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed seven ballistic missiles targeting the eastern part of the kingdom. Debris from the interceptions reportedly fell near power facilities, underlining the risks to critical infrastructure.

In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, a drone described by local authorities as “coming from Iran” crashed into a residential home, killing a couple.

Further tensions were reported near Erbil, where two blasts were heard close to the airport hosting advisers from the US-led anti-jihadist coalition. Hours earlier, air defence systems intercepted four missiles headed towards the US consulate in the city.

US President Donald Trump significantly raised the stakes with sweeping threats against Iran’s infrastructure, tying them to an ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that “the entire country” of Iran “could be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night,” if Tehran failed to comply.

“Every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said, adding that bridges could face “complete demolition by 12 o’clock… over a period of four hours — if we wanted to.”

Iran dismissed the remarks, with an army spokesman saying the “rude, arrogant rhetoric” of the US president would not affect its military operations... (MORE - missing details)

[Syne]

...Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a stark and dramatic warning about developments in Iran, suggesting that a “whole civilization” could be wiped out even as he hinted at the possibility of sweeping political change in the country. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

The former US president, who has been increasingly vocal on West Asia developments, appeared to suggest that a major turning point could be imminent, adding that “now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”

??? Wishful thinking?