Mark Kelly: ‘Illegal orders’ to make civilians suffer in Iran would be ‘black mark’ on military, US

## Summary
Senate Mark Kelly: ‘Illegal orders’ to make civilians suffer in Iran would be ‘black mark’ on military, US Comments: by Tara Suter - 04/07/26 12:58 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Tara Suter - 04/07/26 12:58 PM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) hit back at a recent post from President Trump threatening Iranian infrastructure, saying Monday that “threatening to target power plants and other non-military targets is not strength.” “If those words become orders to destroy civilian infrastructure with no valid military purpose, it’s hard to see how they would not violate the laws of armed conflict. Comments: Link copied More Senate News See All Defense Top Armed Forces Democrat: Trump has ‘become as fanatical as the regime leaders in Tehran’ by Tara Suter 47 minutes ago Defense / 47 minutes ago House Democrats call for Trump’s removal over threat against Iran by Emily Brooks 4 hours ago House / 4 hours ago Senate Senate Democrat: ‘Bombing alone’ can‘t accomplish Trump’s objectives in Iran by Tara Suter 4 hours ago Senate / 4 hours ago International GOP Sen. Johnson: I do not want to see the US blow up Iran infrastructure by Sophie Brams 6 hours ago International / 6 hours ago See All Video/Hill.TV See all Hill.TV See all Video THE HILL TV Rising: April 7, 2026 by TheHill.com 04/07/26 12:25 PM ET THE HILL TV / 4 hours ago THE HILL TV Rising: April 6, 2026 by TheHill.com 1 day ago THE HILL TV / 1 day ago THE HILL TV Rising: April 3, 2026 by TheHill.com 4 days ago THE HILL TV / 4 days ago See all Hill.TV See all Video Top Stories See All International China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support by Sophie Brams 2 hours ago International / 2 hours ago See All Most Popular China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support Spanberger drop in approval rating ‘stunning’: Sabato Democrats call for Trump’s removal over threat against Iran Trump’s gone too far: Invoke the 25th Amendment before it’s too late Graham: Iran will suffer 'massive military attack' Tuesday night without ...

## Article Content
Senate
Mark Kelly: ‘Illegal orders’ to make civilians suffer in Iran would be ‘black mark’ on military, US
Comments:
by
Tara Suter
- 04/07/26 12:58 PM ET
Comments:
Link copied
by
Tara Suter
- 04/07/26 12:58 PM ET
Comments:
Link copied
NOW PLAYING
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) hit back at a recent post from President Trump threatening Iranian infrastructure, saying Monday that “threatening to target power plants and other non-military targets is not strength.”
“If those words become orders to destroy civilian infrastructure with no valid military purpose, it’s hard to see how they would not violate the laws of armed conflict. America leads best with strength, discipline, and professionalism. Illegal orders to make civilians suffer would be a black mark on our military and our country,” Kelly, a retired Navy captain, added in his post on the
social platform X
.
Kelly’s post came in response to a Truth Social post from Trump on
Sunday in which he
pressed Tehran to “open the F‑‑‑in’ Strait, you crazy bastards.”
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F‑‑‑in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump said, sparking backlash.
Kelly late last year became entangled in a fight with the Trump administration over a video in which he and five other Democratic lawmakers told military service members not to go along
with “illegal orders.”
The U.S. war against Iran recently stretched into its second month, with Trump in the last few days issuing multiple threats over the Strait of Hormuz, an important passage for the oil industry that has been effectively closed since the start of the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump made another
intense threat toward Iran
ahead of a deadline later in the day for the country to come to a deal.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. 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?” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement that “the President is using all of his constitutional and lawful authorities to protect our homeland from the short- and long-term threat posed by the terrorist Iranian regime.”
This story was updated at 3:24 p.m.
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Kelly late last year became entangled in a fight with the Trump administration over a video in which he and five other Democratic lawmakers told military service members not to go along with “illegal orders.” The U.S. war against Iran recently stretched into its second month, with Trump in the last few days issuing multiple threats over the Strait of Hormuz, an important passage for the oil industry that has been effectively closed since the start of the conflict.

### Areas for Consideration
- On Tuesday, Trump made another intense threat toward Iran ahead of a deadline later in the day for the country to come to a deal. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.
- When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement that “the President is using all of his constitutional and lawful authorities to protect our homeland from the short- and long-term threat posed by the terrorist Iranian regime.” This story was updated at 3:24 p.m.
- Comments: Link copied More Senate News See All Defense Top Armed Forces Democrat: Trump has ‘become as fanatical as the regime leaders in Tehran’ by Tara Suter 47 minutes ago Defense / 47 minutes ago House Democrats call for Trump’s removal over threat against Iran by Emily Brooks 4 hours ago House / 4 hours ago Senate Senate Democrat: ‘Bombing alone’ can‘t accomplish Trump’s objectives in Iran by Tara Suter 4 hours ago Senate / 4 hours ago International GOP Sen.

### Implications
- Kelly’s post came in response to a Truth Social post from Trump on Sunday in which he pressed Tehran to “open the F‑‑‑in’ Strait, you crazy bastards.” “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.
- There will be nothing like it!!!
- On Tuesday, Trump made another intense threat toward Iran ahead of a deadline later in the day for the country to come to a deal. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.
- I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers trump, iran, ago topics. Notable strengths include discussion of trump. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 869.