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If carried out, Trump's threats to bomb power plants, bridges and civilians could be war crimes

A newly constructed bridge struck by U.S. airstrikes Thursday is seen in Karaj, west of Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP)
Vahid Salemi/AP
A newly constructed bridge struck by U.S. airstrikes Thursday is seen in Karaj, west of Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

President Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges, roads, power plants and even desalination plants. Deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure that’s not part of a military operation is considered a war crime under international law.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Oona Hathaway about what the law is and why Trump’s threats are concerning to her and many other legal experts. Hathaway is a professor of international law at Yale who has been a legal adviser to the U.S. State Department and served as special counsel to the U.S. Department of Defense.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom