DENVER Colorado's Democratic congressional delegation joined scores of Democrats from across the country in calling for President Donald Trump to deescalate the war in Iran after the president earlier Tuesday set a deadline for the Islamic Republic to agree to a deal that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz or face the prospect that a "whole civilization will die" if Tehran did not capitulate by sundown.Though some conservative voices took up the call, largely absent were Colorado Republicans on the potentially devastating strikes on Iranian infrastructure which experts say would constitute a war crime.The presidents latest threat, which was once again extended for another two weeks after Iran agreed to a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with less than two hours before deadline, came after a profanity-laden rant on Easter Sunday in which Trump threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure as he mocked the Islamic faith, and followed a prime time speech last week in which he said he would bomb Iran back to the Stone Ages.Late Tuesday, Trump, in announcing he was pulling back on his threats, said on his Truth Social platform Iran had proposed a workable 10-point peace plan that could help end war the U.S. and Israel launched on Feb. 28. But Trumps threat earlier Tuesday did not seem to account for potential harm to civilians, prompting Democrats in Congress, some United Nations officials and scholars in military law to say such strikes would violate international law. Watch the latest coverage on Trump's deadline for Iran from Scripps News in the video player below: Iran on alert as Trump's negotiation deadline approachesThese are not the words of a sane person. Calling for the elimination of a civilization is a war crime, said Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat who represents Colorados 6th Congressional District.Crow, who was among several members of Congress investigated by the Trump administration earlier this year after appearing in a video urging service members to resist illegal orders, renewed his call for the military to disobey any orders to launch attacks against Iran. Every American of good conscience must repudiate this, he said in a social media post Tuesday.In a separate statement from his office, Crow urged Speaker Mike Johnson to call Congress back to Washington immediately so we can vote to end Trumps war with Iran and prevent war crimes.Rep. Diana DeGette, Colorados longest serving member of Congress, followed with a statement of her own not long after, calling Trumps threats war crimes against the entirety of Iranian civilization.25th Amendment proceedings must begin immediately, but if the Cabinet is too cowardly, the House should begin the impeachment process now, DeGette said in a post on X Tuesday morning.Sen. John Hickenlooper said Trump's threats to completely wipe out a country of 93 million people was a war crime. Plain and simple.President Trumps putting our service members and all those innocent lives at risk, Hickenlooper said in a video post on X, while urging everyone in the U.S., regardless of political affiliation, to speak up against these crazy threats from President Trump.Rep. Joe Neguse, who represents Colorados 2nd Congressional District, said in a social media post the presidents unhinged and dangerous threats should shock the conscience of every American, as he called on the U.S. House of Representatives to convene immediately and vote to end this reckless war.Denver7 reached out to the remaining members of the states congressional delegation to get their reaction following Trumps controversial threats.In a statement, Rep. Brittany Petersen, who represents Colorados 7th Congressional District, described Trump as unhinged and unwell as she called his threats of intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure a warm crime.Its unimaginable that the President of the United States is also threatening to destroy an entire civilization. It is utterly shocking and terrifying, Petterson wrote, as she joined several of her fellow Democrats in the Colorado congressional delegation in calling for proceedings to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. We must stop him NOW, she said.Sen. Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump was threatening war crimes to fix a crisis he created by launching a war without a clear strategy or honest justification.Its true that Irans regime is dangerous, which is why Ive supported harsh measures against them for years. But this war cannot go on, Bennet said. Our country deserves better than this.Colorado Republicans remain largely mum on Trumps threatsRep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Colorados Western Slope, was so far the only Colorado Republican to speak up following the presidents threats earlier Tuesday.In a statement obtained by Denver7, Hurd spoke about the Iran regime and its status as a state sponsor of terrorism as he argued the U.S. must remain vigilant to defend the countrys interests against a nuclear-armed Iran.At the same time, actions of this magnitude carry real consequences. The use of American power demands clarity of purpose, discipline, and a defined objective. Congress must also be informed and engaged consistent with its responsibilities under Article I of the Constitution, Hurd said, adding his focus remains on the safety of U.S. service members, the security of the countrys allies, and ensuring any action taken advances long-term stability.Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans have not yet answered Denver7's requests for comment on the president's threats.Trump has extended deadlines beforeSince the war began, Trump has repeatedly imposed deadlines linked to threats, only to extend them. But the president insisted this one is final and will expire at 8 p.m. in Washington (6 p.m. Mountain Time) without a major diplomatic breakthrough.He has also offered contradictory statements about what might actually happen.The Associated Press reports that Trump has made reopening the strait through which a fifth of the worlds oil transits in peacetime part of avoiding wider attacks and suggested that the waterway is not as vital to U.S. oil interests as it is to other countries. He has also said he would be willing to deploy ground troops to seize Iranian oil, while maintaining that major combat operations in that country could soon conclude.That means the next moves by the U.S. are largely a mystery, even as rhetoric on both sides has reached a fever pitch.Meanwhile, Irans president said 14 million people, including himself, have volunteered to fight. That's despite Trump saying that U.S. forces could wipe out all bridges in Iran in a matter of hours and reduce all power plants to smoking rubble in roughly the same time frame. He also suggested the entire country could be wiped off the map.Tehrans representative at the U.N., Amir-Saeid Iravani, said the threats constitute incitement to war crimes and potentially genocide and that Iran would "take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures if Trump launches devastating strikes.Trump keeps an off-ramp openIncluded in Trumps dire warning for Iran, the president also seemed to keep open the possibility of an off-ramp, saying that maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.Earlier, Iranian official Alireza Rahimi issued a video message calling on all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors to form human chains around power plants.Iranians have formed human chains in the past around nuclear sites at times of heightened tensions with the West. State media posted videos online that showed hundreds of flag-waving people massed at two bridges and at a power plant hundreds of kilometers from Tehran, though it was not clear how widespread the practice was.Irans Revolutionary Guard warned that Iran would deprive the U.S. and its allies of the regions oil and gas for years and expand its attacks across the Gulf region if Trump carries out his threat.French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot said that attacks targeting civilian and energy infrastructure could constitute a war crime. Such cases are notoriously difficult to prosecute. Trump has said hes not at all concerned about committing war crimes.Volker Trk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said he deplored the rhetoric being used over the last two weeks by all parties, including the latest threats to annihilate a whole civilization and to target civilian infrastructure.Chokehold on the Strait of HormuzIran effectively blocked shipping through the strait after Israel and the U.S. attacked in February. That, and Irans attacks on the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbors, have sent oil prices skyrocketing, raising the price of gasoline, food and other basics far beyond the Middle East.Tehran had previously rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal, saying it wants a permanent end to the war. But as Trump's deadline neared, an official said indirect communications between the United States and Iran remained underway. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomacy.Pakistan's prime minister urged Trump to extend his deadline for Iran by two weeks, to allow diplomacy to advance. In a post on X, Shehbaz Sharif also asked Iran to open up the strait for two weeks. ...read more read less