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President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that carrying out war crimes against Iran is justified because Iranian leaders are “animals” — using the same language Israeli leaders have used to describe Palestinians, which has been cited by judges in the Hague in determinations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
A journalist asked Trump on Monday: “How would it not be a war crime to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants?”
“They kill protesters,” Trump said. “They’re animals, and we have to stop them.”
The statement calls to mind one made by then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 9, 2023, two days into Israel’s genocide.
“I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,” Gallant said. “We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
The next day, he reiterated the message to soldiers. “I have released all restraints,” said Gallant. “We are fighting human animals. This is the ISIS of Gaza … Gaza won’t return to what it was before. There will be no Hamas. We will eliminate everything.”
The statements were among a deluge of exterminationist language made by Israeli leaders at the time, but they stand out in their openly dehumanizing nature. The government’s actions would go on to prove, without doubt, that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, as many experts have said — but the language used by Israeli leaders is what established intent to commit such atrocity crimes, the South African legal team pointed out in their arguments to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Indeed, the ICJ directly quoted Gallant’s “animals” comments in their January 2024 preliminary decision that it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide. Legal experts have also said that the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Gallant, for using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity in Gaza, has ample evidence behind it in part because of Gallant’s remarks, which establish intent.
Trump’s statements have grown increasingly violent over the past days — language so extreme that legal experts and lawmakers have said that his comments are genocidal.
On Tuesday, Trump threatened to destroy the entirety of Iran and its population of 93 million people.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump previously threatened to bomb Iran at 8 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday night. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH,” he posted on Easter Sunday.
Trump’s comments have reignited calls for him to be impeached and removed from office.
“Trump’s genocidal language and indiscriminate warfare cannot be normalized or accepted,” said Rep. Summer Lee (D—Pennsylvania). “He should be removed from office.”
“This is explicitly genocidal language,” said Refugees International President Jeremy Konyndyk, referring to Trump’s civilization-wide threat.
“This will be exhibit A in future war crimes trials if he carries out his threats,” said Oona Hathaway, Yale Law School professor and former special counsel for the Department of Defense.
“All States must act now to stop this,” said Adil Haque, a professor of international law at Rutgers University. “Soldiers must refuse unlawful orders. Members of Congress must call for impeachment and removal. Every American who loves their country must speak out. Enough is enough.”
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