UN aid chief tells Trump war isn’t a ‘game show’ or ‘casino’ after US strikes Iran civilians
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher has issued a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump following American strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran.
The criticism comes amid escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict, with concerns raised over the legality and humanitarian consequences of recent military actions. Senior UN officials have questioned both the conduct and rhetoric surrounding the war.
UN aid chief criticizes Trump over Iran civilian strikes
Fletcher stated in remarks to the BBC, “War is not a game show; peace-making is not a real estate deal; the world is not a casino,” after US forces bombed civilian targets and threatened further attacks on infrastructure. He described the situation as reckless and deeply harmful to ordinary Iranian citizens.
He explicitly said that targeting civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and bridges constitutes a war crime under international law. Fletcher stressed that these principles are clear and non-negotiable, adding that the global community appears to have abandoned them in favor of “impunity, indifference and game-show gambling.”
Fletcher emphasized, “We [UN humanitarian aid workers] are out there dealing with the huge unintended consequences of this reckless conflict.”
The UN official argued there had been a “gradual and then sudden deterioration in the protection of civilians,” adding, “This stuff is not negotiable.” The criticism follows statements made by Trump on Truth Social on Friday, April 3, where he warned of intensified military action against Iran.
He wrote, “Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!”
Global concern rises over Iran strikes and war rhetoric
Alongside these developments, an open letter signed by more than 100 international law experts expressed “profound concern” over what they view as serious violations of international law by the US, Israel, and Iran.
Legal experts argue that the strike on Iran represents a clear breach of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force except in cases of self-defense or when explicitly authorized by the UN Security Council. The group of experts, comprising former US government officials and scholars of international law, also highlighted what they described as “alarming rhetoric” from American leadership.
They also pointed to the strike on a school in Minab on the first day of the war, which available evidence suggests was likely carried out by US forces. Experts say the incident could constitute a war crime if it is established that those responsible acted recklessly. The Pentagon has said it is investigating the attack, which killed a large number of civilians, many of them children.
In response to the open letter, a White House spokesperson told the BBC that Trump was “making the entire region safer and more stable.”
The spokesperson added, “The president does not make these incredibly important national security decisions based on the opinions of these so-called ‘experts’, but on the best interest of the American people.”
Trump’s threat to “bomb Iran back to the Stone Ages” was made in the context of pushing for a deal to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and ease turmoil in global energy markets, which have been heavily affected by the conflict.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has indicated that Iran could face additional sanctions if the strait remains closed, following talks with representatives from more than 40 countries.
