George Clooney (64) verbally attacks Donald Trump (79) and accuses the US President of threatening Iran with war crimes. The Oscar winner first made his accusation public in front of 3,000 students in the northern Italian city of Cuneo at an event organized by his Clooney Foundation for Justice. The trigger was a threat from Trump on Truth Social that an “entire civilization could die that night” if Iran did not meet its demands for a ceasefire.
Clooney responded immediately: “Some say Donald Trump is fine. But if someone says he wants to wipe out a civilization, then that’s a war crime.” He added that one can certainly represent conservative positions – but there must be a limit of decency that must not be exceeded.
The White House fires back
The reaction from Washington was not long in coming. Steven Cheung, White House communications director, countered on
Clooney didn’t leave that uncommented either. In a statement he sent to the industry publication The Hollywood Reporter, he pointed out the seriousness of the global political situation: “Families are losing their loved ones. Children have been burned. The global economy is on a knife’s edge.” This is a time for intensive debates at the highest level – not for “infantile name-calling.”
He then followed up with a legal definition: According to the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute, a war crime occurs “if there is the intention to physically destroy a nation.” He asked directly: “What is the government’s defense?”
Background: War between USA, Israel and Iran
The conflict that gave rise to Clooney’s statements has been simmering since the end of February. At that time, coordinated military strikes by the USA and Israel began against Iranian military infrastructure, nuclear facilities and senior personnel. Since then, the fronts have hardened several times: deadlines have been postponed and threats have escalated. At the same time, Trump repeatedly claimed that the negotiations were constructive.
Most recently, the US President agreed to suspend planned bombings of Iran for two weeks to allow for talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The USA and Iran have now agreed to a two-week ceasefire – a very fragile pause in a highly dangerous conflict.
