Trump, Hegseth blowing up Iran’s infrastructure could be a war crime | Opinion
President Donald Trump, in his futile attempt to end the Iran war that he started, has threatened to destroy that country’s electrical grid and water desalination plants. He has already allegedly violated international and U.S. law by killing civilians and by destroying supposed Venezuelan drug smuggling boats.
When I served as a judge advocate general officer in the Kansas National Guard and was deployed by Army doctrine, I assigned one of my JAG officers to be present at all operations planning meetings. The JAG officer participating in those operations planning meetings had a duty to object to any civilian infrastructure being targeted except in limited circumstances, such as enemy forces sheltering in a structure and firing upon our troops. Why? Because destroying civilian infrastructure in most instances is a violation of international and U.S. law.
The Geneva Conventions of August 1949 read: “Starvation of civilians as a method of combat is prohibited. It is therefore prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless, for that purpose, objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works.”
The 1998 International Criminal Court Statute, adopted by the United Nations Diplomatic Conference, says “intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival” is a war crime in international armed conflicts.
The Department of Defense Law of War Manual requires U.S. military personnel to comply with the laws of war. The manual states: “DoD Practice of Applying Law of War Rules Even When Not Technically Applicable. DoD policy and doctrine make clear the importance of compliance with, implementation of, and enforcement of the law of war.”
The sad fact is that Trump, through Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has purposefully undermined moral and legal high road the United States has generally taken when it comes to abiding by the law of war. In February 2025, Hegseth fired the top JAGs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, calling them “roadblocks” to the commander in chief’s orders, and seeking a more aggressive, less constrained military legal approach.
Last month, Hegseth ordered a “ruthless” review of JAG offices to further scrutinize their roles. “What in reality is happening is that he wants JAGs who are going to serve roles that are politically sensitive — not to have neutral functions, but to serve political ends,” Frank Rosenblatt, a retired Army attorney and president of the National Institute of Military Justice, told Stars and Stripes.
Simply put, Trump’s policy of attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure violates the law of war. Trump’s policies place the United States on an equal plane with countries such as Russia, which has repeatedly attacked civilians, and Israel, which has purposely destroyed civilian housing in Lebanon and withheld food from civilians in Gaza.
What if the shoe was on the other foot? Can you imagine the number of Americans who would die if another country purposely destroyed our electric grid, internet systems and other vital infrastructure? Terrorist groups would justify their violent acts against the United States because Trump told our generals and admirals to destroy civilian targets, and they complied.
Destroying Iran’s electrical grid and desalination plants would harm and kill numerous innocent Iranis, many of whom have long protested against the Iranian government. Trump and Hegseth’s theory that destroying Iran’s infrastructure would somehow force its leaders to capitulate is delusional. It would only cause more Iranians to hate and loathe the United States, and cause other countries to despise Americans.
Tom Arnhold of Olathe is a retired attorney, judge and a 24-year veteran of the Kansas Army National Guard, where he served as a JAG officer.