Overview
- Trump, who on Monday announced a five-day pause to any strikes, has threatened to hit Iranian power plants unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
- Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling wrote Tuesday that such an order would test commanders’ duty to refuse unlawful strikes, citing Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions and the rule that civilian sites like power plants are targetable only with clear military advantage and proportionate harm.
- Amnesty International said the warning itself signals intent to inflict unlawful civilian suffering, detailing how blackouts would cut hospital power, stop water pumping, disrupt food supply chains, and violate basic rights.
- Iranian outlets have circulated prospective targets across Gulf states as retaliation options, while tanker traffic has faced repeated incidents and Bahrain reported drone damage at a desalination facility as threats to energy and water networks spread.
- Water security experts note Gulf cities rely on desalination for daily drinking water, so strikes on plants could drain reserves within days and leave households without safe tap water or sanitation.