WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Easter threatened major strikes on Iran’s energy and transportation infrastructure if its leaders do not cooperate with his demand to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The post came the same day Pope Leo XIV made a passionate appeal for peace during his comments from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica after offering Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square.
‘There will be nothing like it!!!’
In an expletive-laden post on his social media website Truth Social, Trump said, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!”
The post, which came just hours after officials announced the successful rescue of the U.S. airman shot down in Iran, said if they do not open the strait, “you’ll be living in Hell.”
Targeting civilian infrastructure would generally be considered a war crime under international law.
The U.S. and Israel carried out combat operations against Iran Feb. 28 that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other key Iranian political and military officials in the war’s beginning. Trump has argued the regime presented grave threats, and pointed to “the specter of nuclear blackmail” in an April 1 address about the conflict from the White House.
Strait a key oil trade route
In response, Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil trade route, by striking ships there. The closure of the strait has led to a significant spike in energy costs, which polls suggest is a factor in souring public opinion on the conflict among U.S. adults.
Polls conducted throughout the first month of the conflict — dubbed Operation Epic Fury — show that most U.S. adults are opposed to it.
Meanwhile, in his Easter comments, the pope repeated the word peace 13 times, stating that the peace the risen Christ offers “is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us.”
“Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!” he said.
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.
