Strikes on water facilities in Iran may be war crime, experts say
Military and legal experts warn that US strikes on water storage tanks in southern Iran could constitute a war crime if the tanks were deliberately targeted.
Attacks on water infrastructure in southern Iran
Military and legal experts have raised concerns that US strikes that damaged two water storage facilities in southern Iran may amount to a war crime. The attack occurred on June 10 near the Strait of Hormuz, in an area serving about 20,000 residents.
Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer, said the legal question is critical: “It’s either a military objective or it’s a civilian object: attacking one is lawful, attacking the other is a war crime.”
Iran’s state broadcaster said the strikes were carried out by the US military, though the Guardian could not independently verify this. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command (Centcom), said they are aware of reports and looking into them.
Context: heatwave and drought
The attacks come during the summer heat and a historic drought in Iran. Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, warned that Iran’s water crisis leaves “virtually no margin for error” and further disruptions could prove catastrophic.
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia highlighted that damaging civilian water access in the hottest part of the year will have the most acute consequences, calling it “not a minor matter.”
Evidence and political fallout
Iran’s semi-official news agency published photos of destroyed water tanks and munition fragments. Trevor Ball, a former US army technician, identified the fragments as parts of a GBU-39 bomb, a precision-guided munition made in the US. Ball said it is unlikely both buildings were directly hit if they were not the intended target.
Several former officials with deep experience in military targeting said that if the US intentionally targeted water infrastructure, it would be unprecedented. Wes Bryant, who advised the US military on the use of force in Iraq and Syria, said that before Trump’s second term he would have said “absolutely we don’t target water infrastructure,” but now he is unsure.
Meanwhile, Congress voted on June 3 to constrain US action in Iran. Senator Kaine said he plans to bring a war powers resolution to the Senate in response to the latest strikes and will demand answers from the Pentagon. He also raised concerns about the use of AI in target selection, warning that without proper human oversight, it could lead to egregious mistakes.
