A very desperate Trump threatens to carry out war crimes on Iranian civilian targets.
From This Point Forward
From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Jul 22, 2026, 6:56 AM
The Escalation Threat
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump Says U.S. Will Bomb Iran’s Power Plants, Bridges if Tehran Strikes Ships
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday that the U.S. will “bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,” including infrastructure in or near Tehran, every time Iran shoots at a ship in the strait.
The president’s comments are the latest indication that the two countries might return to full-scale war. On Tuesday, he said U.S. military forces would likely attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, the underground site where Israeli intelligence believes Iran has buried advanced nuclear-enrichment centrifuges, “pretty soon.”
“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over! This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s threats to strike Iranian infrastructure raise legal questions, including whether doing so violates the laws of war. Current and former military officials caution that it isn’t lawful to strike an adversary’s infrastructure for political purposes, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.
Iran has effectively halted traffic through the vital waterway that before the war carried a fifth of the world’s oil by launching drones and missiles at commercial ships, roiling the global economy. An average of just 10 ships a day crossed Friday through Sunday, according to ship tracker Kpler. Iran has also threatened to charge tolls for ships transiting the waterway.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Monday announced a blockade of Saudi shipping, threatening the oil flow through alternative routes such as the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, amid a separate conflict with the kingdom.
Wednesday’s strikes by the U.S., the 11th consecutive night of bombing, targeted Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and military logistics infrastructure, according to U.S. Central Command.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. remains open to a diplomatic settlement, but that Iran doesn’t appear serious about a renewed ceasefire.
The Counter-Escalation Threat
Military Options Not Great
- The military options here aren’t great. The site is likely too deeply buried for U.S. munitions to penetrate, so it can’t be “destroyed.” That leaves the option of bombing entrances and tunnels to block access and hopefully entomb the centrifuges–an imperfect and temporary fix, but one the U.S. has been willing to use on other underground nuclear sites (e.g., Esfahan).
- We’re still left with the mystery of why neither the U.S. nor Israel has struck the site to date. Again, “inability to destroy” doesn’t seem to have been a guiding criteria in other targeting choices, so I’m skeptical that’s the reason here.
What’s the Mission?
- If the mission is to open the strait, then the MOU opened the strait.
- If the mission is to prevent Iran from getting a nuke, the MOU addressed that as well.
- If the mission is to make Trump look like a fool and lose more midterm votes, he is succeeding.
Guardian Angel of the Strait
This is about Trump’s fragile ego and the insane risks he is willing to take to deny he lost the war.
Trump is now the self-proclaimed “Guardian Angel of the Strait”.
Iran wants to charge $1-2 million for safe passage Trump wants to charge 20 percent of cargo, about $30 million per ship.
He later modified that to include investments of that amount in the US, equally preposterous.
Illegal War
Murkowski: “The War Powers Resolution is not ambiguous. It requires the president to terminate hostilities within 60 days absent congressional authorization. Hostilities began on Feb. 28…Is the administration still taking the position about needing no authorization from Congress?:”
Blame Biden
$2 Billion a Day to Open the Strait
Don’t Worry, Only 18 Dead
Iran Strait Opening Sequence of Events
- The strait of Hormuz was open.
- Trump started a foolish war at the request of Israel. Iran closed the strait in response.
- After wasting tens of billions of dollars and deplenishing US weapons systems, a MOU reopened the strait.
- In a feud over fees, Trump started bombing Iran. So Iran closed the strait again.
- Iran wants to collect $1-2 million in fees for passage.
- Trump declared himself as the Guardian Angel of the strait.
- Trump wants 20 percent of cargo, roughly $30 million in fees per ship for safe passage.
- Trump says a Guardian Angel fee is only fair even though he has failed to provide safe passage.
- In addition, Trump wants $2 billion a day in military funding to reopen the strait that he actually insists is already open and the US controls.
- To open the strait that is allegedly open will take $2 billion per day and $30 million per ship not counting the cost of rising oil and commodity price hikes.
The current mission, as best as anyone can tell, is to open the strait that was opened by the MOU, and was open before Trump started this asinine war.
This mission to open the strait will cost $2 billion per day plus $30 million per ship, with rising oil price inflation until the strait is open.
Costs do not factor in infrastructure damage, US global standing, or those needlessly killed or wounded by Trump’s actions.
Commodity Prices
- Crude Oil WTI 86.36 +2.02 +2.40%
- Brent Oil 93.58 +2.57 +2.82%
- Natural Gas 2.912 +0.047 +1.64%
- Gold 4,155.12 +78.72 +1.93%
- Silver 60.445 +1.337 +2.26%
West Texas Intermediate crude is up another $2.02 today to $86.36.
AAA National Average Fuel Prices
- The AAA national average gasoline price topped $4.00 a few days ago and is now $4.06 per gallon.
- A week ago the national average gas price was $3.89, a month ago $3.92, and a year ago $3.14.
- Diesel is $5.18 now, was $5.01 a month ago, and a $3.73 year ago.
If this madness continues for two more weeks, oil will be back above $100 and gasoline prices headed back toward record highs.
Stop the Funding
Vote No for more military spending.
Look on the Bright Side
Q: What’s that?
A: Only 18 soldiers have been killed so far. It’s a small price for such insanity.
Related Posts
July 21, 2026: Israel Gives Trump Marching Orders to Escalate the War. What’ll the Puppet Do?
It’s not orders per se. But it’s similar to the “intelligence” scam that started this mess.
July 21, 2026: Hegseth Blasted in Congress Over His Lies Iran’s Military Capability Destroyed
Hegseth seeks more money for illegal wars. Just say no.
Top Israeli Minister: ‘Best For Us’ If US Fights Iran While Israel Sits Out New Round of War
BWAHAHHAHAA
Who the hell is writing this comedy? Larry David?
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/top-israeli-minister-best-us-if-us-fights-iran-while-israel-sits-out-new-round-war
If you’ve ever wondered how manipulated the US equities markets are, look no further
There is no way we should not be in a recession right now
All my bros who lived through the 70’s know exactly what I’m talking about
The goal ever always only was to turn Iran into a failed state.
Basically, killing and destruction for its own sake, as there is no agreement that Iran can make that would satisfy Trump’s masters in Israel.
Trump Threatens to Commit War Crimes in Tehran
FIFY
He doesn’t care about war crimes or anything like that. He knows he won’t be around long enough to stand trial. It takes years for such cases to reach court.
Maybe it is a simple logistics issue: having already pulverized the Iranian military, flattened their nuclear sites, and vaporized their missile bases, he is now burdened with a tragic surplus of unused munitions. Heaven forbid an impressive stockpile of bombs sits around gathering dust when some perfectly good new targets could be found to catch them.
Iran has made it clear they will destroy equivalent infrastructure in the Gulf Arab states. This is how Trump will wreck the global economy. At some point the destruction of infrastructure becomes so great it no longer matters if Hormuz opens or not. Resumption of production of oil, LNG, urea, sulfur, aluminum will not happen for months or even years.
Standing offer to companies/individuals with legal issues:
Who says criminal activity doesn’t pay? The cost is less than the benefits from the crimes.
Amid legal crisis, health care exec sends $1 million to MAGA Inc.
JUDD LEGUM AND REBECCA CROSBY
JUL 22, 2026
Trump’s behavior in the Iran War situation, in particular his ability or lack of, to walk away from the loss is exactly the same behavior he exhibited after the 2020 election. He lost there too and instead of listening to knowledgeable advisors and accepting reality he welcomed the sycophants who played his malignant personality by telling him what he wanted to hear even though it had no basis in reality. That conjured up a host of actions, from the fake electors to the assault on the Capitol. And he still hasn’t let 2020 go.
So to with Iran. He listened to sycophants and charlatans who had their own agendas, disregarded any advice he received about not going to war (did anyone advise him not to?) and launched the war. Now, finding himself mired in a situation he can’t win because the sycophants and charlatans were wrong about Iran, he mentally can’t accept that he can’t win. So he goes to the brink of a solution, signs the MOU, almost there but the last foot to the goal means he has to accept defeat in public without a bit of a fig leaf and he can’t do it. (presumably there are still C & S’s around him telling him one more push will do it.) So he backs away from the MOU, uses whatever excuse is handy to restart the war and here we are.
Unless someone overrides his decision I don’t think he’ll be able to end it. We’re stuck and he’ll likely escalate in different areas because the C&S’s tell him “this time it’ll work if they don’t have any water or electricity or shrines,” with unpredictable consequences.
Maybe Kash can get the Kremlin to help.
And probably more women, children and the elderly, if possible. Taco has no respect for human life except for his own.
He’s not immoral, he’s amoral. He doesn’t have a compass on what’s right or wrong.
And America is looking pretty amoral too.
We are committing war crimes but instead of doing anything about that we are trying to disband the ICC.
Tate gets arrested for sex trafficking etc and Trump moves to protect his fellow serial child rapist.
How disgusting do we have to get before anything changes?
Found on internet:
We Westerners are the Third Reich today. We want world domination at any cost. Since we are sociopathic by nature, we will put everything on the line to achieve our goal. Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing should finally realize this.
For every Columbus, Hernán Cortés, or Francisco Pizarro who made it, there are thousands who died on the path to infinite wealth. For us, the “50 Cent” motto applies: “Get rich or die tryin’.”
We are not interested in our human or natural environment; we are not even interested in our own environment. Over the past 35 years, the West has destroyed itself out of sheer greed.
The smart people in Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing need to keep THAT in mind at all times. We are sociopaths. We are the Epstein class. We accept no partners; we accept only submission—or annihilation.
Every time JoJo or his butt buddies here open their yaps, they underscore this basic point.
In WW2, even heavy bombing of civilian centers did not cause civilian morale, and the German and Japanese regimes, to collapse. Only massive boots on the ground in Germany, and nuclear bombing in Japan, resulted in their surrender. The demand of the allies for unconditional surrender, coupled with the release of the Morgenthau plan to de-industrialize a defeated Germany, played right into Goebbels’ plans, and stiffened German resistance.
Good point
Thanks! Similar history in Hanoi.
I don’t think the objective is defeat anymore just control of the straight.
I think the original objective was to do to Iran what was done to Venezuela.
#EpicFailure
That is, war crimes.
Good article Mish! It is easy to see Trump’s desperation growing every day. While he should never be underestimated, it is really hard to see him recovering from the damage he has done to the economy. He really has become the new Herbert Hoover.
GWB, Obama, Trump, Biden then Trump. Each President is getting worse and worse. I can only imagine how terrible the next President is going to be.
At least Obama could string words together and form a complete thought.
Imagine Marco. How to say Mini Pedophile in Cuban?