Bernie Sanders denounces Trump’s ‘dangerous’ Iran threats

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has launched a blistering critique of President Donald Trump’s latest rhetoric regarding the war in Iran, labeling the president’s recent social media activity the “ravings of a dangerous and mentally unbalanced individual.”

​The condemnation follows a profanity-laced Truth Social post from the president on Easter Sunday, in which he threatened to designate “Power Plant Day and Bridge Day” in Iran unless the Tehran government immediately reopened the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. “Open the [expletive] Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” Trump wrote, further escalating a conflict that has entered its 40th day.

​”One month after starting the war in Iran, this is the statement of the President of the United States on Easter Sunday,” Sanders posted on X. “Congress has got to act now. End this war.”

​The political firestorm comes at a critical juncture in the conflict. On Wednesday, a fragile two-week ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan and Oman, officially took effect. The truce aims to halt hostilities that have devastated Iranian infrastructure and crippled global energy markets. Under the tentative terms, the U.S. and Israel have agreed to pause strikes in exchange for a temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

​A Region in Ruins

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The human and economic toll of the month-long war remains staggering. In Tehran, recent strikes targeted a university and a hospital, while earlier raids destroyed the B1 bridge between Tehran and Karaj, killing eight people. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters that Trump’s threats against civilian energy and transport sectors constitute “incitement for war crimes.”

​The naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—through which 20% of the world’s oil flows—has seen traffic plummet from 100 ships per day to single digits. This disruption has forced oil prices to a four-year high of nearly $120 per barrel. In response, OPEC+ members agreed to a modest production boost of 206,000 barrels per day for May 2026, though analysts warn the increase is largely symbolic as long as shipping lanes remain unsafe.

​Fragile Peace and Uncertain Futures

While the ceasefire has brought a momentary lull to the bombing of major cities, reports of violations are already emerging. Iran has accused Israel of several “ceasefire violations” in both Iran and southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah continues to exchange fire with Israeli forces along the border.

​The political landscape in Tehran has also shifted dramatically. Following the death of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the war’s opening days, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly assumed leadership. Though he has not been seen in public since the war began, he is believed to be closely aligned with the Revolutionary Guard’s hardline factions.

​As the two-week clock on the truce begins to tick, international mediators are racing to turn the pause into a permanent settlement. High-level talks are scheduled to begin this Friday in Pakistan, though with President Trump still signaling a willingness to “blow up everything” if a deal is not reached, the path to a lasting peace remains fraught with peri