In a expletive filled threat posted to his social media platform on Easter Sunday, US President Donald Trump warned that Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day” and “Bridge Day” in Iran, renewing threats to bomb civilian sites.
Mr Trumps threat came in a foul-mouthed Truth Social post in which he said Iran would be “living in hell” if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it,” he said.
That post came less than 24 hours after Mr Trump said that the crew member who had been missing since Iran shot down a fighter jet had been rescued.
Mr Trump said the airman, the weapons officer in a two-seat F-15E Strike Eagle, evaded Iranian forces for two days before being found by US special forces.
The pilot was rescued separately in the hours after the Friday crash.
“He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine”, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Despite the rescue of the US airman, ever since the end of February when US and Israeli troops began air strikes on Iran, the mission has proven to be increasingly unpopular in the US, with various polls showing dissatisfaction among those surveyed in the US.
The US and Israeli strikes caused Iran to attack neighbouring countries in the Middle East that it deems to have US military bases.
Some of those attacks have proven deadly, while other attacks from Iran have come in the form of successful hacking attempts.
Less than one hour after Mr Trump's expletive-filled social media post, US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called the President "utterly unhinged".
"He's already killed thousands ... he's going to kill thousands more," Mr Murphy's post read.
The Connecticut democrat also urged for the Trump administration to look into the 25th Amendment, which could enable them to remove the President from office before his term ends.
Though he did not refer to Mr Trump's Truth Social message directly, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham echoed his sentiment in a post on X.
"He is deadly serious when it comes to his ultimatum to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face a massive military response against vital infrastructure," Mr Graham wrote.
"It is still my hope Strait of Hormuz can be reopened and the enriched uranium can be secured through diplomacy," he added.
Iran's UN mission critiqued the US president's threats to destroy civilian infrastructure.
"This is direct and public incitement to terrorise civilians and clear evidence of intent to commit war crime," the country's UN mission posted on its multiple social media accounts.
"The international community and all states have legal obligations to prevent such atrocious acts of war crimes," it added.
Former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif, did not mince his words in responding to Mr Trump either.
"Nothing screams 'winning', quite like vulgarity," Mr Zarif posted on X.
"Campaign on America First, then, blackmailed by a wanted criminal, pivot to Israel First ... Oh, and Happy Easter," he added.
