Case Explained: Threats to attack civilian targets are raising concerns with legal experts : Consider This from NPR : NPR – Legal Perspective

In this picture obtained from Iran’s ISNA news agency, mourners cry during the funeral of children killed in a reported strike on a primary school in Iran’s Hormozgan province, in Minab on March 3, 2026. Iranian media have reported hundreds of Iranian casualties, including at a girl’s school, although AFP reporters have not been able to verify tolls independently. The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran spread across the Middle East, threatening to plunge the global economy into chaos, with Lebanon and Gulf energy exporters dragged into the conflict.

AMIRHOSSEIN KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images

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AMIRHOSSEIN KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images

Attacking civilian infrastructure is a war crime under international law. So when President Trump threatened to attack power plants and potentially all desalination plants in Iran earlier this week, it raised concerns among some legal experts. Kuwaiti officials also accused Iran of destroying one of its desalination plants earlier this week.  

If a war crime were to be committed during the conflict with Iran, what would accountability look like? Would there be any at all? 

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This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Jeffrey Pierre, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena.

It was edited by John Ketchum.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.