Donald Trump has reiterated his threats to target power plants in Iran.
- Iran responded by stating that it would be considered “war crimes.”
- What about it?
Is Donald Trump guilty of war crimes in Iran? This is what Tehran believes. On Sunday, April 5, the U.S. president threatened to target power plants and bridges if Iran does not reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. A few days earlier, he had stated that he was ready to bring Iran back to the “Stone Age”, while civil sites, including schools or the Pasteur Institute in Tehran, have been targeted in recent weeks.
According to Iranian authorities, these new threats and actions constitute war crimes. “The American president, as the most important official of his country, publicly threatened to commit war crimes,” criticized Kazem Gharibabadi, vice minister of Foreign Affairs for legal and international affairs. “This is an act that engages his individual criminal responsibility before the International Criminal Court. (…) It is recommended to refrain from pursuing these threats before the name of the President of the United States is recorded in history as a super war criminal.” Trump, on the other hand, stated on Monday that he is not “worried” about committing war crimes by bombing Iranian power plants.
What do the texts say?
Even if the American president wants to evade them, there is an international law on war, the laws of which are established by the Geneva Conventions, some of which the United States have partially ratified. These conventions state that the destruction of “objects essential to the survival of the civilian population” is prohibited. “It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove, or render useless objects essential to the survival of the civilian population,” reads article 54 of the additional protocol, of which the United States are not a part this time. Energy infrastructures or health facilities are concerned.
War crimes are also defined in article 8 of the Rome Statute, which governs the International Criminal Court (ICC), of which the United States are also not members. According to this text, intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects, meaning objects that are not military objectives, is considered a war crime, as well as intentionally launching an attack knowing that it will incidentally cause loss of civilian lives, injuries to civilians, or damage to civilian property.
What are the precedents?
Aside from the written texts, there is a precedent, especially regarding strikes on energy infrastructures. In 2024, the ICC indicted four Russian military officials for systematic strikes on Ukraine’s power grid. This doesn’t seem to bother Donald Trump. If the Iranians do not reach an unspecified agreement with him, American forces will “strike each of their power plants, without exception,” he threatened last week. According to the laws of war, only power plants mainly serving military activities can be targeted.
The American president also warned that he was prepared to attack oil wells, despite international condemnation of Iraqi forces who had set fire to oil facilities during their withdrawal from Kuwait in 1991, during the first Gulf War. His Secretary of State for Defense, Pete Hegseth, promises to reject all “stupid rules of engagement” in any case.
What risks for the United States?
The immediate risks of war crimes alleged against the United States appear limited for Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, or other American officials. The Trump administration has sought to neutralize the ICC following the arrest warrant issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Gaza. Few experts expect the court based in The Hague to target Americans, especially since none of the countries involved in the current conflict – United States, Israel, or Iran – are members.
Moreover, Iran could also cross the red line, according to statements from its leaders. In the event of continued Israeli-American attacks, Tehran promises severe retaliation, such as the destruction of desalination plants in Arab countries allied with the United States suffering from severe water shortages. This also falls within the international definition of a war crime.
