George Clooney calls Trump’s Iran threat a ‘war crime’

Actor George Clooney condemned President Trump on Wednesday over his Truth Social warning that “a whole civilization” could be destroyed, calling the statement a war crime and expressing concern about the future of NATO.

Mr. Clooney made the remarks in Cuneo, Italy, where he was speaking before high school students at an event organized by the Clooney Foundation for Justice, according to Variety.

“Some say Donald Trump is fine. But if anyone says he wants to end a civilization, that’s a war crime,” the actor said, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

The remarks came days after Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday, warning the Iranian government that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” while holding out the possibility of a diplomatic resolution. A temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was subsequently reached.

Mr. Clooney urged those who back conservative politics not to abandon basic standards of conduct.

“You can still support the conservative point of view, but there must be a line of decency, and we must not cross it,” he said.

The actor also raised alarms about Mr. Trump’s recent statements suggesting he may withdraw the United States from NATO after European alliance members declined to join the U.S. in the Iran conflict.

“I’m worried about NATO,” Mr. Clooney said. “It has ensured that Europe, but also the rest of the world, has been safe. Dismantling an institution like this worries me.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was expected to meet with Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday in an effort to ease tensions over the alliance’s future.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice, which Mr. Clooney and his wife, Amal, established in 2016, currently operates in 40 countries.