Slippery Slope to Total War

Key Points:

• President Trump's threats to simultaneously strike all Iranian electric generating plants contradict established international laws of war, which protect civilian infrastructure unless it is used for military purposes and the military advantage outweighs civilian harm.
• Such rhetoric places U.S. servicemembers in a difficult position, forcing military commanders and lawyers to reconcile unlawful orders with their oath to follow only lawful commands, risking moral injury and potential future legal liability.
• The U.S. military's targeting protocols emphasize precision and proportionality, requiring rigorous analysis to avoid excessive civilian harm, and categorically reject "morale bombing" or targeting civilians to diminish morale as a legitimate military advantage.
• Attacks on critical civilian infrastructure like power plants can cause severe civilian suffering and are subject to strict legal scrutiny, with precedents such as investigations into Russian attacks on Ukraine's electrical grid highlighting the consequences of unlawful targeting.
• The United States has historically led in operationalizing international humanitarian law principles through methodologies like Collateral Damage Estimation and maintaining No-Strike Lists to ensure compliance with the laws of war and protect innocent civilians.