Panicked Trump, 79, Fires Off Unhinged Threat in Late-Night Meltdown
The president is becoming increasingly frantic as he sinks deeper into a crisis of his own making.

Anadolu via Getty Images
Donald Trump has threatened to drastically escalate the war on Iran by destroying the country’s bridges and electric power plants, despite warnings that such attacks could be seen as war crimes.
The 79-year-old president posted the unhinged threat to the Middle Eastern country in a late-night Truth Social message amid mounting concerns that he has no real plan to end a deeply unpopular conflict that has already caused a global energy crisis.
“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” Trump wrote.
“Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and it has to be done FAST!”
Donald Trump sent the social media threat to Iran at 10:41 p.m. ET. on Thursday.
Annabelle Gordon/Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Trump had already warned in another Thursday Truth Social post that Iran must make a deal “BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!”
The president made the threat while sharing a video of U.S. airstrikes targeting a bridge connecting Tehran and Karaj.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again,” Trump added. “Much more to follow!”
Trump’s threats came as dozens of international law experts signed an open letter raising concerns that U.S. strikes on Iran—including attacks on civilian infrastructure for no clear military purpose—could amount to war crimes.
The letter cites comments Trump made last month suggesting the U.S. might attack Iran “just for fun.” It also points to remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claiming the U.S. does not fight with “stupid rules of engagement” and Trump’s comment in January that “I don’t need international law.”
Trump has frequently issued deranged threats toward Iran as part of a flailing pressure campaign to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping passage through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
This has included threatening the “obliteration” of Iran’s energy infrastructure while giving seemingly arbitrary deadlines for the country to meet the president’s demands. Last month, Trump said he would once again hold off attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure while issuing a new 10-day deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait, set to expire after April 6.
During a low-energy primetime address to the nation on Wednesday, Trump delivered vague updates about the conflict, which has now dragged on for more than a month, again suggesting the war would end within a few weeks without explaining how that would actually be achieved.
Trump also warned that the U.S. plans to attack Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks” in order to bring the country of 90 million people “back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”
The war on Iran is becoming increasingly damaging for the president politically, which could have devastating knock-on effects for Republicans in November’s midterm elections.
The conflict—and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz—has sent oil prices soaring well above $100 a barrel and caused gas prices to soar across the U.S.
A CNN/SSRS poll released this week found that just 31 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, the lowest rating in either of his terms, as tens of millions of Americans already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis face further financial hardships due to the war.

Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have been heavily criticized for their handling of the Iran war.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the Pentagon for comment.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog



ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT