Former Military Lawyers Warn President Trump’s Threats to Target Iranian Power Plants Constitute War Crimes

Former military lawyers argue President Trump's plan to hit Iran's electrical grid violates the law of war and endangers U.S. servicemembers. Read the analysis.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 11:16 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Just Security

The Escalation of Total War Rhetoric

A profound legal and ethical crisis is emerging within the U.S. military chain of command following President Donald Trump’s Easter Sunday declarations regarding Iranian infrastructure. According to legal experts Margaret Donovan and Rachel VanLandingham, the President’s public commitment to striking "each and every" electric generating plant in Iran represents a departure from decades of established military doctrine. This shift toward "total war" tactics, characterized by the intentional destruction of civilian-centric power grids, directly challenges the legal frameworks the United States helped establish following the atrocities of World War II.

Legal Protections for Civilian Infrastructure

The core of the current controversy lies in the protected status of civilian objects under the Geneva Conventions and the DOD Law of War Manual. While bridges or power stations can occasionally serve military purposes, their destruction is only permissible if it offers a definite and direct military advantage that outweighs expected civilian suffering. Analysts highlight that the Department of Defense specifically warns against striking power plants connected to hospitals, as the foreseeable loss of life from power failure must be factored into any proportionality assessment. By threatening an undifferentiated campaign against all Iranian plants, the administration risks bypassing these mandatory case-by-case rigorous analyses.

The Burden on U.S. Servicemembers

The President's rhetoric places military professionals, particularly lawyers and commanders, in an untenable position regarding their constitutional oaths. U.S. service personnel are trained to obey only lawful orders, and threats to show "no mercy" or bomb a nation "back to the Stone Ages" are categorized by experts as plainly illegal. Donovan and VanLandingham suggest that such commands undermine the moral bedrock of the Armed Forces, potentially leading to significant psychic injury for those forced to execute strikes that conflict with their lifelong training in the principles of distinction and proportionality.