U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is not worried about accusations that attacking Iran’s civilian power infrastructure, an action he has threatened after an upcoming deadline on Tuesday, could be a war crime.
"I'm not worried about it," Trump told reporters at an Easter egg roll at the White House when asked what he would say to those who allege that striking power plants would breach the laws of war.
Critics have said Trump would be committing war crimes if the U.S. attacked civilian power plants, a point that Trump dismissed on Monday.
"You know what's a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
Trump said the five-week conflict could end quickly if Iran does "what they have to do."
"They have to do certain things. They know that, they've been negotiating I think in good faith," he said. Trump, who had extended his initial deadline, gave no indication he would do so again.
"Highly unlikely. They've had plenty of time. In fact, they asked for seven days. I said, I'm going to give you 10. But at the end of 10, all hell's going to break out if you don't get there," he said.
Trump's senior aides have been negotiating with Iran indirectly through Pakistan, attempting to get a deal in which Iran will forswear nuclear weapons and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the oil transit waterway. Iran said it wanted a permanent end to the war, not just a temporary ceasefire.
Trump said it appeared the latest team representing the Iranian government is "not as radicalized" as others who have been killed in airstrikes.
"We think they're actually smarter," he said.
Trump said if it were up to him, the United States would take control of Iran's oil, but he said the American people would probably not understand such a move.
