"I hope this president, at some stage, will realise the responsibility that comes with being the President of the United States of America.”
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has reignited his feud with Donald Trump, criticising the U.S. President for his threats to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran and for threatening ‘a whole civilisation will die’.
The U.S. and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement earlier this week, however Trump had threatened massive strikes against Iranian energy and transportation infrastructure unless a deal was reached.
He issued an apocalyptic warning to Iran’s leaders to increase the pressure on them to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow Gulf waterway through which about 20% of global oil and gas shipments pass.
“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”, he posted on Truth Social.
Those comments were widely condemned, with some warning that his actions could amount to war crimes.
Among those critics is Sadiq Khan, who told the Mirror that Trump’s “gratuitously offensive” threats against Iran need calling out like Vladimir Putin.
Asked what he thought about Trump’s comments, Sir Sadiq told The Mirror: “I think it’s, frankly, gratuitously offensive for the leader of the free world to talk about a civilization in this way.
“And actually, for those that understand history, arguably, Iran is the cradle of civilization, but also, I’m not sure why he needs to be so offensive to the followers of the religion of Islam the way he does, that is not the way to have a sustainable, permanent ceasefire. That is not the way to bring people together – and I think that’s one of the responsibilities, being the leader of the free world.
“I hope this president, at some stage, will realise the responsibility that comes with being the President of the United States of America.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.