The Doomsday Plane Takes Flight, By Charles Taylor (Florida)
The NY Post article linked below, reports on an E-4B "Nightwatch" (doomsday plane) taking off from Offutt Air Force Base — a flying command centre built to survive nuclear war or major emergencies, with advanced comms, shielding, and capacity for top officials. These planes fly regularly for training, but the timing fuelled speculation amid tensions with Iran.
President Trump has issued strong public threats and ultimatums to Iran. He demands Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz (a critical global oil shipping route that Tehran has effectively closed or disrupted in recent weeks amid ongoing conflict). If not, he says the US military has plans to destroy Iran's bridges and electric power plants — potentially "by 12 o'clock tomorrow night" or in a matter of hours, calling it "Power Plant Day and Bridge Day." He has said the "entire country can be taken out in one night" and that Iran would be "living in Hell."
This builds on earlier US/Israeli actions against Iranian nuclear and military sites. Critics (including some legal experts and Democrats) argue striking civilian infrastructure like power grids and bridges could violate international humanitarian law (rules against disproportionate harm to civilians), though the White House frames it as necessary pressure to end the blockade and degrade regime capabilities. Iran has warned it would retaliate against US interests if civilians are hit.
The situation is fast-moving and highly escalatory — today is the deadline Trump referenced.
Would Iran move children to power stations/bridges to create an international incident?
It is plausible they would attempt something like this, though probably not in a crude, obvious way that screams "photo-op human shields." Here's why, based on Iran's track record:
Historical pattern: During the Iran-Iraq War (1980s), the regime sent thousands of children and teens (often poor or indoctrinated Basij volunteers) to the front lines as "human waves," including clearing minefields with their bodies — literally using them as disposable shields or cannon fodder. They were given plastic "keys to paradise" as martyrs.
Modern examples: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and regime have a documented history of embedding military assets in civilian areas, using civilians (including in residential neighbourhoods or near sensitive sites) to raise the political and PR cost of enemy strikes. Reports from the current conflict describe the regime "drafting the population into service as human shields" by positioning forces in populated zones to provoke civilian casualties and rally domestic/international sympathy.
Civilian airliners precedent: After striking US forces in 2020, Iran kept civilian flights operating over military areas, which many analysts (and even some Iranian families of crash victims) interpreted as using passengers as de facto shields to deter retaliation. The downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was tied to this chaotic environment.
Propaganda value: The regime excels at information warfare. If strikes cause civilian deaths (especially children), Iranian state media, proxies, and allies would flood global outlets with images and claims of "US war crimes against innocents." Moving vulnerable civilians near high-value targets (or preventing evacuation) fits their playbook of maximising backlash against the attacker while minimising their own military losses. They have used schools and other civilian sites for military purposes before, leading to child casualties labelled as "human shields."
That said:
Power plants and bridges are large, spread-out infrastructure. "Moving children there" en masse would be logistically obvious and could backfire if exposed as deliberate staging.
The regime prefers subtler tactics: discouraging evacuations, placing air defenses or command nodes near populated areas, or exploiting any collateral damage for PR.
Iran also cares about maintaining some domestic control — widespread visible sacrifice of kids could spark more internal unrest (they already face protests).
In short, Iran has shown willingness to sacrifice or endanger its own civilians (including children) for strategic/martyrdom narratives. If US strikes on infrastructure look imminent, expect the regime to position people in ways that amplify civilian suffering and generate international outrage — not necessarily busing school groups to sit on bridges, but through embedding, restricted evacuations, and rapid propaganda. This is a brutal but consistent aspect of how the Islamic Republic has operated in past conflicts.
The broader context is grim: civilian infrastructure strikes would cause massive suffering for ordinary Iranians (blackouts, disrupted supplies, etc.), while the regime's leadership is likely sheltered. Both sides are playing high-stakes games with human lives on the line. As always this is the case with war.
