War Crimes
2024 July
2024-07-01 In July of 2024 Trump argued that a President has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution. In 2026 Trump invoked the 2024 ruling to argue for broad immunity from criminal prosecution regarding “official acts”.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11194
https://www.cato.org/blog/trump-v-us-great-power-comes-great-immunity
2025 July
2025-07-13 News outlets reported Israel and the U.S. pushing efforts to relocate Palestinians to Sudan or Libya.
2025 August
2025-08-30 The U.S. Navy deployed warships into international waters and shot down a boat from Venezuela. News outlets reported Venezuela took this as an invasion, and many speculated this was a war crime.
2025 September
2025-09-06 JD Vance posted on social media, “killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military”. Brian Krassenstein replied, “killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime”. JD Vance responded, “I don’t give a shit what you call it”. Vance also wrote, “Democrats:let’s send your kids to die in Russia…Republicans:actually let’s protect our people from the scum of the earth”.
https://x.com/JDVance/status/1964341094226743787
2025-09-10 A news outlet reported initial survivors to the boat strike, and that the U.S. turned back to finish the job. According to news outlets, if this was true it would be considered a breach of Rules of Engagement and an act of murder.
2025-09-11 After their return from a fact-finding mission, Democratic Senators Chris Van Holland and Jeff Merkley released a report accusing Israel of collective punishment and ethnic cleansing.
2025-09-16 The UN Independent International Commission issued a 72-page report condemning the Israeli government of violating 4-out-of-5 acts prohibited under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8641wv0n4go
2025-09-22 The Trump administration made plans to send $6B in arms sales to Israel including 30 Apache helicopters.
2025 October
2025-10-20 Israeli soldiers shot and killed 9-year-old Mohammad Bahjat Mohammad Hallaq in the head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYWFsTrquPs
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQCH6GzDBDH/
2025 December
2025-12-10 According to Reuters, the Trump administration demanded that the International Criminal Court amend its founding documents – the Rome Statute – to ensure that Trump and his senior officials would not be investigated or prosecuted for any war crimes, and threatened sanctions if the ICC didn’t comply.
2026 January
2026-01-16 Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 2-year-old Palestinian baby in the head outside Jenin.
2026 February
2026-02-24 During the State of the Union, Trump quipped about killing Venezuelans in boat strikes, “We very seriously damaged their fishing industry, also. Also, nobody wants – nobody wants to go fishing anymore”.
https://stluciatimes.com/178617/2026/02/trump-acknowledges-us-campaign-has-damaged-fishing-industry/
2026-02-28 The US, in joint efforts with Israel, bombed Iran. Only one of the news outlets reported over 200 people including 170 schoolchildren were killed on the first day of bombings. The US did not seek Congressional or international approval and did not provide proof there was an imminent threat warranting the bombing. For context, Trump stated several months ago that the US already destroyed nuclear bombs in Iran and ran on the platform that the US would never start a war in the Middle East. Trump said after the bombing, “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take”.
https://www.reuters.com/world/iran-crisis-live-explosions-tehran-israel-announces-strike-2026-02-28/
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/why-trump-war-iran-benefits
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/28/middleeast/maps-iran-tehran-attack-vis-intl
https://www.cfr.org/articles/gauging-the-impact-of-massive-u-s-israeli-strikes-on-iran
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/02/28/special_report_us_israel_launch_unprovoked
2026 March
2026-03-24 The UN demanded immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya by Israel. In the demands they condemned Israel for severe abuse and torture. Dr. Safiya had been detained by Israeli forces since December 27 2024 after refusing to abandon his patients during an Israeli raid at a hospital.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/release-dr-hussam-abu-safiya
2026-03-27 Israeli soldiers fatally shot and killed 15-year-old Adma Dahman in the abdomen south of Bethlehem.
https://imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-kill-a-palestinian-child-in-bethlehem-3
2026-03-30 Trump publicly threatened to bomb desalination plants, electric plants and oil wells in Iran. Bombing civilian power and infrastructure is a war crime. When pressed about this during a press brief, Karoline Leavitt said, “Um, look – the president has made it quite clear to the Iranian regime at this moment in time as evidenced by the statement that you just read, that their best move is to make a deal – or else the United States armed forces has capabilities beyond their wildest imagination and the president is not afraid to use them…” at which point the journalist reiterated ‘war crime’ concerns. Karoline Leavitt continued, “That’s not what I said, Garrett, and you’re saying the word potential for a reason, ‘cuz I’m sure some experts are telling you that in your ear to try to ask me that question. Of course, this administration and the United States armed forces will always act within the confines of the law, but with respect to achieving the full objectives of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump is going to move forward unabated, and he expected – expects – the Iranian regime to make a deal with the administration”.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/leavitt-melts-down-after-being-quizzed-on-trump-war-crimes/
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/world/live-news/iran-war-us-israel-trump
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7147083
https://www.dw.com/en/iran-war-trump-threatens-to-blow-up-desalination-plants/live-76586932
2026 April
2026-04-02 Trump proudly posted the U.S. bombing of a civilian suspension bridge in Tehran, which killed 8 people and wounded 95.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2dxrtOgvEY
2026-04-05 Trump wrote on TruthSocial, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP”. Several leaders responded with backlash, condemning the unhinged post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6GRMdn8ZD4&list=WL&index=3&t=59s
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/05/nx-s1-5774368/iran-war-updates
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/05/trump-iran-threats-politician-reactions
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg0q6wdzp1o
https://time.com/article/2026/04/05/trump-power-plants-iran-hormuz/
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116351998782539414
https://x.com/mb_ghalibaf/status/2040823145251090462
2026-04-07 In July of 2024 Trump argued that a President has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution. In 2026 Trump invoked the 2024 ruling to argue for broad immunity from criminal prosecution regarding “official acts”.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11194
https://www.cato.org/blog/trump-v-us-great-power-comes-great-immunity
2026-04-07 Ro Khanna and Martha MacCallum got into an exchange over Trump’s war crime threat to exterminate the Iranian civilization.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/destroying-90-million-people-ro-204813913.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DTG7IEbHjM&list=WL&index=7
2026-04-09 In defense of Trump’s “whole civilization will die” tweet, Karoline Leavitt told the press the Pentagon had a target list that they were ready to hit and insisted that Trump had the moral high ground. She also said, “The President absolutely has the moral high ground over the Iranian terrorist regime, and for you to even suggest otherwise is frankly insulting,” and “..so it was a very strong threat that led to results, and as the Secretary of War stated at the Pentagon this morning, it was not an empty threat by any means. The Pentagon had a target list that they were ready to hit go on at 8PM last night…”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Gy6lLRu6U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGwVZWFh_Dk
https://www.trtworld.com/article/67984187584e
2026-04-09 Israeli soldiers shot and killed 9-year-old girl Ritaj Rihan in the head in front of her classmates in Bethlehia.
2026-04-13 The US military struck another boat in the Pacific, killing two people. The Pentagon offered no evidence that they were carrying narcotics. Death toll at this date: approximately 170.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ZKsiMUAyY
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/us-military-boat-strike-eastern-pacific
2026-04-16 Democrats filed articles of impeachment on Pete Hegseth for high crimes and misdemeanors.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/15/democrats-pete-hegseth-impeachment
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pete-hegseth-impeachment-articles-house-democrats/
https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-faces-impeachment-threat-full-list-of-sponsors-11835492
2026-04-19 (context here: threatening to attack civilian infrastructure again) Trump wrote on Truth Social, “…the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done…”.
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116431297579272777
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2026/04/19/iran-war-updates-trump-talks–live/89685600007/
2026-04-20 Hungary’s newly elected Prime Minister Peter Magyar declared his government would be legally obligated to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters Hungarian territory while still subject to an international criminal court arrest warrant.
https://www.politico.eu/article/peter-magyar-hungary-would-arrest-benjamin-netanyahu-israel/
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-893675
2026-04-21 Amnesty International released their annual Global Human Rights report. In that report, they described the leaders of Israel, Russia and the United States as “voracious predators” intent on economic and political domination, citing the war in Iran, relentless killing in Lebanon, and the genocide in Gaza. It also cited the growing resistance of States in South Africa as they join to protest the genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/0320/2026/en/
2026-04-23 Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill” Iranian boats.
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116454087460626531
https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-04-24-2026
https://time.com/article/2026/04/23/trump-orders-us-navy-shoot-kill-boats-strait-hormuz-iran-war/
2026-04-23 Israeli soldiers shot and killed 15-year-old Yousef Sameh Ishtayyeh during a raid in Nablus West Bank.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2641142/middle-east
2026-04-24 Israel continued to kill more citizens in Gaza amid a ceasefire.
2026-04-26 The U.S. struck another boat, claiming without merit it was transporting narcotics. This would make the death toll on boats in international waters roughly 185 people
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/27/us-three-killed-boat-alleged-narco-eastern-pacific
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/27/us/video/us-strikes-alleged-drug-boat-ldn-digvid-vrtc
2026 May
2026-05-01 This date marked the 60th day of the war in Iran. Trump claimed he doesn’t need Congressional approval under the War Powers Act to continue the war.
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DXzkCYERom0/
2026-05-03 Israel displaced residents of ten (10) towns in Lebanon and killed 2659 civilians since March 2 2026.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQi7zttRc80&t=7s
2026-05-03 Iran executed 3 protestors. According to some reports, Iran carried out over 600 executions within the first three months of 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/04/iran-executes-men-january-anti-regime-protests
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-executions-anti-government-protests/
https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/04/tehran-regime-executes-three-protesters-one-without-evidence
2026-05-04 Captured Global Sumud Flotilla activists reported Israeli forces administering torture and beatings causing detainees to pass out.
2026-05-04 Israel carried out separate attacks in Gaza killing three Palestinians and leaving several others badly injured. Israel reported a 60% occupation of the strip at this date. They also shot 26-year-old Naif Smaro in the head during a raid in Nablus when he was just dropping his wife off at the hospital to give birth to their first child. During the raid at least 4 others including 2 children were struck by ammunition.
TIMESTAMP 2:48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmFI8zifRY8&list=WL&index=1&t=166s
2026-05-04 The U.S. struck another boat in the Caribbean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm8A5yBW2RM
https://apnews.com/article/drug-cartels-boat-strikes-military-trump-084ee7b1071dede21ea64afa9daf2ea2
2026-05-04 Iranian State Media reported the U.S. fired on small cargo boats and passengers, killing five civilians. USCENTCOM confirmed they attacked several boats, but insisted they were threatening commercial vessels.
https://www.aol.com/articles/iran-claims-5-civilians-killed-121333505.html
https://iranwire.com/en/news/152005-us-reports-strike-on-iranian-boats-tehran-calls-it-a-crime/
2026-05-05 Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Muhammadi was hospitalized in critical condition after collapsing in prison from a heart condition. She had been imprisoned in Iran for the past twenty years for activism and had been repeatedly denied medical care even after two heart attacks.
2026-05-07 Israel continued to kill Palestinians, block aid, and prevent reconstruction. Meanwhile, Gaza faced more health crises of sewage contamination, cooking with cardboard, no water or shelter, and rat infestation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q4bM3mkrbE&list=WL&index=3
2026-05-15 Senator Kirsten Gillibrand questioned US Central Command head Admiral Brad Cooper during a hearing for the Senate Arms Committee about why the US had bombed 22 schools and hospitals in Iran. Cooper denied any such bombings except indicating an investigation on the first school bombing when a US Tomahawk missile struck an all-girls school on day 1 of the war.
TIMESTAMP 1:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hR8JDWzrkI&list=WL&index=2&t=9s
2026-05-22 Democrat Congressman after Republicans cancelled the Iran war powers vote, “…these chickenhawk motherfuckers are going to send us home for Memorial Day weekend – where I’m going to honor my fellow veterans that I served 27 months in combat with – and they are going to not even give an up or down vote on continuing this war almost 3 months in while Americans are paying almost $5 a gallon at the pumps. It is fucking pathetic. They use this procedural bullshit argument, and every American should be absolutely outraged about this. It’s a disgrace.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvb6YVTe_0s&list=WL&index=7&t=50s