Iran warns US troops against committing war crimes

In a post on X on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei warned US troops that obedience to "superior orders" does not absolve individuals of responsibility for war crimes. He stated that the ruling establishment in the US seeks to sacrifice the remaining principles of international humanitarian law and basic standards of human ethics and civilization in pursuit of its "insatiable appetite for war and slaughter."

Baghaei added that any policy calling for the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, is "manifestly unlawful and criminal." He emphasized that such actions constitute reprisal and collective punishment, both of which are explicitly prohibited as war crimes under international humanitarian law and US domestic law, specifically under 18 U.S.C. § 2441 (the War Crimes Act).

The Iranian spokesperson reiterated that there is no statute of limitations for such offenses. He noted that the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Department of Defense Law of War Manual make it unequivocally clear that service members have both a legal and moral duty to refuse manifestly unlawful orders.

Baghaei also affirmed Iran's seriousness and resolve to stand against "lawlessness and the flouting of the law." According to Mehr News, the remarks come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States.