U.S. President Donald Trump extended the negotiation deadline with Iran by another day while reaffirming his willingness to destroy power plants and bridges if no agreement is reached. He also revealed growing animosity toward European allies amid the Iran war.
Trump told close aides that "negative feelings toward European allies have grown much stronger through the Iran war," the Wall Street Journal reported Monday (local time). He also considered withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the 77-year-old military alliance, but was reportedly informed that withdrawal is impossible without congressional approval.
Behind Trump's hostility toward Europe lies the European Union's hardline anti-war stance. The EU declared the war illegal and reckless, closed its airspace, and publicly called for a halt to the attacks.
In an interview with the WSJ on the same day, Trump said, "I pushed back the deadline I gave Iran to the 7th," adding, "If nothing happens by that evening, the power plants won't run and the bridges will come down."
Also on Monday, Trump posted "Tuesday 8 p.m.!" on Truth Social. This is interpreted as extending the deadline by one more day, following the 10-day extension he announced on March 26 that had set the deadline for strikes on Iranian power plants to 8 p.m. Eastern Time on April 6. The new deadline corresponds to 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, Korea time.
Asked when the war would end, Trump replied, "I'll let you know soon." He added, "If Iran doesn't cooperate and continues trying to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, they will lose every power plant and major facility across the country."
Under international law, militaries may strike critical civilian infrastructure such as power plants only when doing so contributes to military operations while minimizing civilian harm. The WSJ reported that Trump aides argued that "focused strikes on specific targets could be permissible as they are intended to degrade Iran's missile, drone, and nuclear weapons development capabilities."
Iran pushed back immediately. According to Iranian media outlet Ensaf News, imprisoned politician Mostafa Tajzadeh said in an open letter to Trump that "the Iranian people will defend their homeland under any circumstances." He criticized that "bombing infrastructure is not only a violation of international law but risks deepening anti-American sentiment and escalating the conflict into a broad regional catastrophe."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also announced it had struck U.S. and Israeli infrastructure in the region. Targets included oil refinery facilities in Haifa, Israel; ExxonMobil- and Chevron-operated gas facilities in Habshan, the United Arab Emirates; and Al Ruwais petrochemical facilities.
The IRGC warned, "If attacks on civilian targets are repeated, the second phase of operations will proceed in a far harsher and more extensive manner," adding, "If larger attacks are carried out and civilian facilities are struck, our response will be significantly stronger."
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