Military Experts Warn Soldiers of Trump's Unlawful Iran Orders

Retired officers say Trump's threats against Iran could force troops to disobey orders or face prosecution for war crimes.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 7:24pm

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A dynamic, abstract painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and fractured lines in shades of gray, blue, and red, conceptually representing the turbulent political and military situation surrounding the Trump administration's threats against Iran.A fractured, avant-garde painting captures the chaotic momentum of the Trump administration's aggressive posturing toward Iran, putting U.S. troops in an impossible position.Leavenworth Today

Retired military officials have warned that President Trump's threats against Iran, including plans to strike civilian targets, could force U.S. soldiers to disobey unlawful orders or potentially face prosecution for war crimes. The experts say Trump's reckless actions in the Middle East have only made the situation worse and that any ground invasion of Iran would be a "suicide mission" for American troops.

Why it matters

Trump's aggressive posturing toward Iran has raised serious concerns about the legality of potential military actions and the consequences for U.S. service members who may be ordered to carry them out. There are fears that Trump's disregard for international law and civilian casualties could irreparably damage America's global standing and relationships with allies.

The details

Retired Maj. Harrison Mann, a former Defense Intelligence Agency official, said Trump's recent decision to threaten strikes on Kharg Island as part of a potential ground invasion of Iran would be a "suicide mission" for American troops. Mann explained that the U.S. struggled to extract just one downed pilot from Iran, let alone an entire battalion. He also cited numerous instances of the Trump administration bombing schools, universities, and medical facilities, which he said could constitute war crimes. Mann left the military out of concern he would be "implicated in war crimes." Steven A. Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that hitting non-military targets would be a war crime, even if the military also uses them.

  • On Tuesday morning, Trump threatened to 'wipe out a whole civilization' if Iran doesn't meet his demands.
  • Last week, Trump ordered the bombing of a bridge, stating it was not for a military purpose but to pressure Iran's government.

The players

Maj. Harrison Mann

A retired Defense Intelligence Agency official who warned that Trump's threats against Iran could force U.S. soldiers to disobey unlawful orders or face prosecution for war crimes.

Steven A. Cook

A senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations who agreed that hitting non-military targets in Iran would constitute war crimes.

Rep. Ted Lieu

A Democratic congressman who has threatened "accountability" for anyone in the military who breaks the law in carrying out Trump's orders against Iran.

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What they’re saying

“If that happened here, we would call that terrorism. We would know it was a war crime. And so something that has worried me from even before this war started, is how the Trump administration is putting more and more senior officers and troops at every rank in the position where they have to either disobey an order, which is an extremely difficult thing to do, even if it's a patently unlawful order, or prosecute war crimes or otherwise break the law.”

— Maj. Harrison Mann, Retired Defense Intelligence Agency official

“The kind of mass force that the president is threatening doesn't seem to qualify for every bridge, every railway station — don't seem to qualify as legitimate military targets.”

— Steven A. Cook, Senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

What’s next

Rep. Ted Lieu has threatened "accountability" for any military members who break the law in carrying out Trump's orders against Iran. Military leaders will likely have to carefully consider how to respond to any unlawful directives from the president.

The takeaway

Trump's reckless and potentially illegal actions toward Iran have put U.S. military members in an untenable position, forcing them to choose between disobeying orders or potentially facing prosecution for war crimes. This crisis highlights the dangers of a commander-in-chief who disregards international law and the lives of civilians.