On 7 April 2026, US President Trump threatened genocide and war crimes against the
Iranian people, saying in a social media post that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” Vice
President Vance indicated that Trump is considering using “tools in [the US] toolkit that it
so far hasn’t used” if Iran does not comply with US demands to reopen the Strait of
Hormuz, making what can be read as an implicit threat to use nuclear weapons.
Attacking civilian infrastructure such power plants and bridges, as the US President has
explicitly threatened to do, is a war crime. Over 100 international law experts have
warned that the US government is already committing war crimes in this conflict.
Threatening to kill an entire civilization is a threat of genocide. The use and threat of use
of nuclear weapons would be a grave violation of international law and are outlawed
under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. As the United States is the only
country so far that has used nuclear weapons in war, this implicit threat cannot be taken
lightly.
WILPF condemns the ongoing illegal Israeli-US war against Iran and calls for its
immediate end. WILPF also condemns the US threats of genocide, war crimes, and any
implicit threat to use nuclear weapons. WILPF reiterates our calls for all parties to
immediately halt all military attacks, prioritise diplomatic channels and regional de-
escalation mechanisms, and uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and
international law.
We urge all governments to pressure the US and Israeli governments to end their war, and
to pressure the US government to cease its threats and actions against the people of Iran.
We urge all people of the world to oppose these monstrous claims and refuse to normalise
rhetoric that so egregiously devalues human life and international law.
The people of Hiroshima have spoken out against the US threats, gathering in front of the
Atomic Bomb Dome to demand that Never Again should anyone experience the horrors of
nuclear weapons. This situation, regardless of what happens tonight, must reinvigorate
urgent action for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.
