When War Crimes Rhetoric Becomes Battlefield Reality (justsecurity.org)

Just Security argues that recent public threats to strike Iran’s electric generating plants and other civilian infrastructure would, if carried out, collide with core laws-of-war rules protecting civilian objects. The authors say such rhetoric pressures commanders and legal advisers to reconcile “total war” style statements with strict requirements for case-by-case analysis, concrete military advantage, and balancing expected civilian harm. They also note that servicemembers could face later legal scrutiny if strikes proceed despite the stated intent to ignore “rules of engagement,” and draw comparisons to alleged war crimes involving energy infrastructure in Ukraine.