U.S. Strikes on Iran Draw War Crimes Warnings from International Law Scholars

More than 100 international law experts from leading American universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the University of California, have signed an open letter warning that U.S. military strikes on Iran may constitute war crimes. The letter, published Thursday in the Just Security policy journal, states that the conduct of U.S. forces and statements from senior officials raise serious concerns about potential violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

The scholars highlighted several alarming remarks, including President Donald Trump's mid-March comment suggesting the U.S. might strike Iran "just for fun," as well as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth's early March statement dismissing what he called "stupid rules of engagement." Trump further escalated tensions this week, threatening to hit Iran "extremely hard" and warning of strikes on its energy, oil, power, and desalination infrastructure over the coming weeks.

The experts expressed deep concern over attacks that have reportedly hit schools, hospitals, and residential areas. Particularly troubling was a strike on an Iranian girls' school on the war's first day, which the Iranian Red Crescent says killed 175 people. The U.S. military acknowledged in March that its forces were likely responsible and elevated its investigation following media scrutiny.

A prominent U.S. Muslim advocacy group also condemned Trump's rhetoric, calling language such as threatening to send Iran "back to the Stone Ages" deeply dehumanizing and inflammatory.

The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran. In response, Tehran targeted Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military installations. The ongoing U.S.-Israeli campaign has since killed thousands of people and displaced millions more, drawing intensifying scrutiny from the global legal and humanitarian communities over the war's compliance with international law.