Trump doubles down on rhetoric to strike Iran cultural sites

US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his threat to strike Iranian cultural heritage sites, asserting to a group of reporters that the United States has the right to bomb such targets.

According to Press TV, talking to reporters on Sunday in the White House, Trump dismissed criticism from human rights organizations pointing out that such an action would be considered a war crime under international law.

"They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way," Trump said.

On Saturday, Trump claimed that his military would hit “very important” targets, including cultural heritage sites, if the Iranians want to take a retaliatory action against the US assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

“We have ... targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran” said Trump in a tweet while making a reference to the takeover of the former US embassy in Tehran in 1979.

The threat came after Iranian authorities vowed vengeance for the US assassination of Lt. General Soleimani, the Commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Iraqi Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as well as several of their Iranian and Iraqi comrades in Baghdad early on Friday.

Many inside the US and across the world have criticized Trump for ordering the deadly airstrike, saying the move could lead to a major conflict in West Asia.

Trump’s threat to strike 52 important targets in Iran has provoked a strong backlash, with many calling it a “war crime.”

US Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden blasted Trump's tweets on Iran as "incredibly dangerous and irresponsible".

ME