Threats of ‘Stone Age’ devastation constitute war crime: Iran President

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has raised concerns over the legality of threats to destroy an entire nation’s infrastructure, questioning whether such rhetoric amounts to a “massive war crime.”

In a post on X, Pezeshkian said he had discussed the issue with his Finnish counterpart, noting the legal implications of such threats under international law.

“Does threatening to send an entire nation back to the Stone Age mean anything other than a massive war crime?” he wrote, adding that his counterpart, a jurist, had been consulted on the matter.

The Iranian president also warned against global inaction, saying history has repeatedly demonstrated the consequences of silence in the face of wrongdoing.

“History is full of those who paid a heavy price for their silence in the face of criminals,” he stated.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, following controversial statements attributed to Donald Trump regarding the potential destruction of Iran’s infrastructure.

Trump had, during an address to the nation on Wednesday night on the ongoing Operation Epic Fury against Iran, said, “We are on track to complete all military objectives shortly, very shortly. We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two-three weeks.”

The US, he said, would continue until the objectives were fully achieved.

“We are going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong. During this period of time, if deals are not made, the US has eyes on key targets, Trump said, adding that “if there is no deal, we are going to hit all their power plants. Very hard and probably simultaneously”.

Iranian officials have increasingly framed such rhetoric as a violation of international law, particularly in relation to threats targeting civilian systems.

Analysts say the Pezeshkian comments reflect Tehran’s broader effort to position its stance within a legal and humanitarian framework as regional tensions continue to rise.