Washington, April 5
US President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, threatening severe consequences in a social media post that underscored rising tensions in the region.
"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!" Trump wrote.
He added: "Open the Strait, or you will face serious consequences - just watch."
Iranian officials had not publicly responded at the time of writing.
The development comes as the U.S. is already engaged in military operations involving Iran, including search and rescue efforts after a U.S. fighter jet was reportedly shot down inside Iranian territory, according to remarks made in a televised interview.
The escalating rhetoric has drawn concern from political and moral leaders, who warned about the risks of a prolonged conflict and its human cost.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, speaking on CBS News' Face the Nation, cautioned against what he described as a slide into another extended conflict.
"We are very dangerously -- we are lurching again into another forever war," Moore said, recalling past U.S. military engagements.
He added that "no one understands or has articulated to us what exactly it is that we are doing, or what success looks like", calling for greater clarity from the administration.
Moore also linked rising domestic economic pressures to the conflict, saying governors "cannot control the fact that gas prices have gone up by over $1 because we decided to enter into another war of choice".
From a moral perspective, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees Catholic chaplains serving U.S. forces, questioned the justification for the conflict.
"I would think under the just war theory, it is not," Broglio said, adding that the conflict appeared to be addressing a threat "before the threat is actually realised".
He emphasised the toll on both civilians and troops, noting that "lives are being lost, both there and also among our troops".
Broglio also highlighted the ethical dilemmas faced by service members, saying soldiers are often bound to follow orders unless they are "clearly immoral", while urging them "to do as little harm as you can, and to try and preserve innocent lives".
The archbishop added that framing the conflict in religious terms was problematic, noting that "the Lord Jesus certainly brought a message of peace" and that it is difficult "to cast this war as something that would be sponsored by the Lord".
- IANS
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