US politicians from across the political spectrum have reacted with alarm to President Donald Trump's abusive threat to Iran, in which he called on the regime to 'open the fuckin' strait [of Hormuz], you crazy bastards'. The outburst on his Truth Social platform has raised concerns about his mental state and the direction of US foreign policy.
Trump wrote: '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.' The post comes as the Trump administration faces a self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for oil and gas that has been effectively shut since the US and Israel launched war on Iran in late February.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally turned critic, said the president had 'gone insane' and called on administration officials who claim to be Christian to 'beg forgiveness from God'. She argued that the strait is closed because the US and Israel started an unprovoked war based on 'the same nuclear lies they've been telling for decades'. Greene broke with Trump last June over his strikes on Iran.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer described Trump's rant as that of 'an unhinged madman', warning of possible war crimes and alienating allies. Independent senator Bernie Sanders called it 'dangerous and mentally unbalanced', urging Congress to end the war. Senator Chris Murphy said the post was 'completely, utterly unhinged' and suggested Cabinet members should consider invoking the 25th Amendment to declare the president unfit for office.
Iranian officials have responded by stating that the strait will only reopen after compensation for war damages, paid via a new legal regime based on transit fees. Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy for communications at the Iranian president's office, accused Trump of resorting to 'obscenities and nonsense out of sheer desperation and anger'. The crisis has also strained relations with European and Nato allies, who have rejected the legality of the US-Israeli war and refused to intervene in the strait.
