Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted Donald Trump’s threats to target “52 Iranian sites” as a “war crime” on Twitter on Saturday night.
“This is a war crime. Threatening to target and kill innocent families, women and children – which is what you’re doing by targeting cultural sites – does not make you a ‘tough guy,’” the freshman congresswoman tweeted. “It does not make you ‘strategic.’ It makes you a monster.”
The heated comments come after Trump doubled down on Iran in his own Twitter feed — further escalating conflict with the country after his his drone strike Thursday in the Iraqi capitol of Baghdad killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
The killing prompted a senior general in Iran’s Senior Revolutionary Guard to brag that his forces had identified 35 US targets to enact revenge for the Soleimani’s death.
“Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian site (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago),” the commander in chief tweeted.
“Some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets. and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!”
The United States has been ramping up its military presence in the area — deploying 3,000 paratroopers to Iraq and carrying out several drone strikes in nearby Iraq and Syria.
The Trump administration warned Congress that retaliation from Iran could come “within weeks.”
