Trump's Threats Against Iran Raise Concerns Over Potential War Crimes

Experts warn that targeting civilian infrastructure could violate international law.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 12:39pm

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President Donald Trump's threats to target Iran's critical infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, have raised fresh concerns over whether U.S. military action in the country could violate international law. Experts warn that deliberate attacks on civilians and non-military targets are generally banned under international agreements like the Geneva Conventions.

Why it matters

Trump's comments have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who argue that such actions would constitute war crimes. The Pentagon's own legal guidelines prohibit targeting sites that are "indispensable to the survival of the civilian population." This raises questions about the legality of the U.S. government's ongoing military operations in the region.

The details

Trump said on Sunday that American troops could target bridges and power plants in Iran if Tehran's leadership did not allow vessels to pass unscathed through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked for more than a month. Iran's military has warned that attacks on civilian targets would trigger "much more devastating and extensive" retaliatory strikes. The U.S. and Israel have been carrying out bombardment of Iran for the past six weeks, while Iran has continued targeting Israel and America's Gulf allies with drone and missile attacks.

  • On Sunday, Trump made the threats on social media.
  • Trump appeared to give Tehran a deadline of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who made the threats against Iran.

Iran's Military

The Iranian military has warned that attacks on civilian targets would trigger "much more devastating and extensive" retaliatory strikes.

Elissa Slotkin

A Democratic Senator from Michigan who criticized Trump's threats as potentially violating international law.

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Minority Leader who said Trump was "ranting like an unhinged madman" and "threatening possible war crimes."

Karoline Leavitt

The White House Press Secretary who said U.S. forces and Trump's administration "will always act within the confines of the law."

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What they’re saying

“This is not making America great again, this is evil.”

— Marjorie Taylor Greene, Former Republican Congresswoman from Georgia

“President Trump's latest threats on Truth Social, if carried out, would violate the law of armed conflict as laid out in the Geneva Conventions and the DoD [Department of Defense] Law of War Manual.”

— Elissa Slotkin, Democratic Senator from Michigan

“He has gone insane. This is not making America great again, this is evil.”

— Marjorie Taylor Greene, Former Republican Congresswoman from Georgia

What’s next

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The takeaway

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