UN chief tells Trump ‘war is not a game show’ after US bombs civilian targets in Iran | EUROtoday

Donald Trump has been accused of treating the Iran battle as a “game show” by a United Nations humanitarian chief after the US hit civilian targets within the nation and threatened to “bomb Iran back to the Stone Ages”.

Tom Fletcher, the UN’s underneath secretary normal for humanitarian affairs has accused the US president of battle crimes by bombing bridges and threatening additional assaults on Iran’s infrastructure, and deplored the “reckless” nature of the conflict and its effect on ordinary people in Iran.

“War is not a game show; peace making is not a real estate deal; the world is not a casino”, mentioned Mr Fletcher, who labored for 3 former British prime ministers: Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

“You don’t hit civilian infrastructure. That includes hospitals. You don’t hit schools, energy sources, bridges. That is a war crime. That is absolutely clear in international law.

“Somewhere alongside the way in which we’ve thrown all that apart. We have chosen impunity, indifference and recreation present playing over solidarity and humanity”, Mr Fletcher informed the BBC.

He added: “We [UN humanitarian aid workers] are out there dealing with the huge unintended consequences of this reckless conflict”.

Mr Fletcher argued there had been a “gradual after which sudden deterioration within the safety of civilians”, including: “This stuff is not negotiable”.

His feedback got here after Mr Trump threatened additional assaults on Iran’s infrastructure if the nation’s management refused to comply with US calls for.

Posting on Truth Social, he mentioned: “Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!

“New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!”

It comes within the wake of an open letter, signed by greater than 100 specialists on worldwide legislation, expressing “profound concern” about what they see as critical violations of worldwide legislation by the US, Israel and Iran.

The legislation specialists say each the conduct and rhetoric of the US within the battle is profoundly regarding and in some instances quantities to violations of worldwide legislation. They say the assault on Iran was a transparent breach of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits using drive exterior of self-defence or when authorised by the UN Security Council.

The specialists embody former US authorities officers and professors in worldwide legislation. They level to “alarming rhetoric” being utilized by US officers, together with President Trump’s threats to “obliterate” Iran’s energy vegetation.

They additionally spotlight the assault on a college in Minab on the battle’s first day, which proof suggests was the results of a US strike, saying it might quantity to a battle crime if proof is discovered that these accountable had been reckless. The Pentagon has mentioned it’s investigating the assault.

In response to the open letter, a White House spokesperson informed the BBC that Trump was “making the entire region safer and more stable”.

The spokesperson added: “The president doesn’t make these extremely necessary nationwide safety choices primarily based on the opinions of those so-called ‘experts’, however on the very best curiosity of the American folks.”

Mr Trump’s risk to “bomb Iran back to the Stone Ages” was over the necessity to strike a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz and alleviate chaos within the vitality markets.

In the face of ongoing navy strikes by the US and Israel, Iran has tightened its grip on the maritime pinchpoint, sending world oil and fuel costs skyrocketing.

Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has signalled Iran might face additional sanctions if the very important waterway stays closed after holding talks with greater than 40 nations from the world over.

She mentioned collective motion to extend stress on Tehran was being mentioned as she accused the nation of attempting to “hold the global economy hostage” with its stranglehold on the important thing commerce route.

But Mr Trump launched renewed criticism of the UK’s method to the battle on Thursday, mocking Sir Keir Starmer as weak and taking a contemporary dig on the UK’s navy.

The US president impersonated the Prime Minister as he recounted Sir Keir saying he needed to ask his workforce about sending “two old broken-down aircraft carriers” to the Middle East.

Mr Trump mentioned Britain “should be our best” ally, however had not been in his newest sideswipe over the UK’s refusal to be drawn into the battle with Tehran, which has emerged in a video from a personal Easter White House lunch.

It will not be the primary time the American chief has been crucial of the UK’s plane carriers, having beforehand dismissed them as “toys” that “aren’t the best”.

In the face of criticism by Mr Trump, Ms Cooper mentioned that “our job is to take decisions in the UK national interest”.

“Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a direct threat to global prosperity,” she mentioned in a press release following the digital assembly on Thursday.

“Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz.

“They must not prevail. To that effect, partners today called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and the law of the sea.”

Britain is in search of to guide the diplomatic initiative, together with international locations comparable to France, Germany and a few Gulf nations, after Mr Trump signalled it was as much as others to unblock the waterway not relied upon by the US.

After chairing the video name, Ms Cooper informed broadcasters on Thursday: “We’ve taken a different view from the US from early on and we didn’t get drawn into offensive action in the Middle East, because we thought that there were real concerns about escalation risks, impact – including on the economy – and also the need for a proper plan.”