Trump’s repeated threats to ‘wipe out’ Iran are normalizing mass violence
The president’s latest warning barely registered, written off as typical behavior. But the threats have real-world consequences
TL;DR
- Donald Trump has frequently threatened to "totally wipe out" Iran as a country and destroy its infrastructure.
- These threats, often dismissed as bravado, constitute potential war crimes under international law.
- The normalization of Trump's rhetoric desensitizes societies to large-scale violence and the targeting of civilians and infrastructure.
- The article links this normalization to Western responses to the war in Gaza and a broader erosion of international norms and the rule of law.
- It argues that a new international order, where Western leaders provide impunity to allies like Israel, enables such threats.
- The Biden administration is criticized for undermining international institutions, paving the way for Trump's less restrained rhetoric.
- The article concludes that unless called out, these threats will become a normal part of warfare.