More than 100 international law professors from prestigious American universities have released a formal letter expressing grave concerns that U.S. military operations against Iran could constitute violations of international law.
The legal scholars, representing institutions including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and the University of California, issued their statement Thursday following President Trump’s renewed threats this week to target Iran’s electrical grid and water treatment facilities.
In a Wednesday television address, Trump indicated the conflict could intensify unless Iran accepts Washington’s demands, suggesting potential attacks on the country’s energy sector and oil production capabilities.
The academics’ letter, published through the Just Security policy publication, states that actions by American forces and remarks from top U.S. officials “raise serious concerns about violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes.”
The letter specifically highlighted Trump’s mid-March statement suggesting the U.S. might launch attacks on Iran “just for fun,” as well as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s early March remarks claiming America doesn’t operate under “stupid rules of engagement.”
The legal experts expressed particular alarm about military strikes affecting educational institutions, medical facilities, and residential areas, pointing to an attack on a school that occurred on the conflict’s opening day.
Military officials announced in March they had upgraded their investigation into a devastating February 28 strike on an Iranian girls’ school after media coverage indicated the inquiry found U.S. forces were probably responsible. Iranian Red Crescent officials report 175 fatalities from that incident.
During Wednesday’s remarks, Trump issued additional threats against Iran, stating: “We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”
A prominent Muslim advocacy organization in the United States has criticized Trump’s language throughout the conflict, describing his threat to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages” as “dehumanizing.”
The current hostilities commenced February 28 when American and Israeli forces launched coordinated attacks against Iran. Tehran retaliated with its own strikes targeting Israel and Gulf nations hosting U.S. military installations. Combined U.S.-Israeli operations in Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people.
