Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday slammed President Trump for threatening that "a whole civilization will die" in Iran, before he backed off and suspended strikes on the Middle Eastern country for two weeks.
"The President's threat that 'a whole civilization will die tonight' cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran," Murkowski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Defense Department, wrote on the social platform X. "This type of rhetoric is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years."
"It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home. The oppressive, terror-spreading regime of the Islamic Republic must be distinguished from the people and the civilization of Iran. Everyone involved -- especially the President and Iran's leaders -- must de-escalate their unprecedented saber-rattling before it is too late."
On Tuesday morning, the president wrote on his Truth Social platform, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," referring to Iran. Trump had set an 8 p.m. EDT deadline for the Iranian government to lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
"I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," the president added of the threatened strikes. "However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?
"We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!"
Later in the day, the president backed off after outreach from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Trump wrote on Truth Social that after speaking with Sharif and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, he agreed to halt strikes on Iran for two weeks.
"This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East," the president added. "We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.
"Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated."
The Iranian Supreme National Security Council said it accepted the two-week ceasefire and would negotiate with U.S. officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, starting on Friday, according to The Associated Press.
"It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war," the council wrote in a statement. "Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force."
Trump's earlier threat to Iran was met with pushback from Democratic lawmakers, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and even Pope Leo XIV.
Intentional attacks on civilians not taking direct part in hostilities and civilian objects that are not military targets qualify as war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.