Donald Trump on Monday claimed that Iranian civilians were actively welcoming US strikes on their country’s infrastructure, saying they would be “willing to suffer” the loss of power and basic services in order to achieve freedom from the Islamic Republic.

Speaking to reporters from the White House press room, Trump dismissed concerns that targeting Iran’s power grid and civilian infrastructure would punish ordinary Iranians rather than the regime, saying without evidence that US intelligence had intercepts of civilians near active bombing sites urging American forces to continue.

“Please keep bombing,” Trump quoted intercepted communications as saying, adding: “These are people that are living where the bombs are exploding.”

The claims came as some Democratic lawmakers accused the administration of preparing to commit war crimes by targeting bridges and power plants. Senator Chris Murphy posted on social media that Trump had told reporters he intended to commit “mass war crimes”. Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the threats constituted “clear evidence of intent to commit war crime”.

Trump invoked the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” Iranian protest movement, describing snipers shooting female protesters “right between the eyes” and argued that Iranians had lived under such severe repression that they would welcome almost any price for regime change. He characterized that crackdown as a small number of expert marksmen ending a march of 400,000 to 500,000 women with five or six targeted killings.

At the start of the press conference, Trump said that Iran “can be taken out in one night, and that might be tomorrow night”. He also reiterated a deadline of 8pm ET on Tuesday for the regime to reopen the strait of Hormuz or face a barrage of strikes on energy facilities and bridges.

Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon secretary who flanked Trump at the press conference alongside Gen Daniel Caine, the joints chiefs of staff chair, said that under the president’s direction “today will be the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation”.

“Tomorrow, even more than today,” he added.

In a question to the president, a reporter noted that deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure violate the Geneva conventions, to which Trump replied: “I hope I don’t have to do it, but again … 47 years they’ve been negotiating with these people. They’re great negotiators, and because they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said he “can’t talk about the ceasefire”, and when asked whether the war is winding down or ramping up, he said: “I can’t tell you.”