TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald Trump has openly threatened to commit war crimes by attacking Iran’s power plants, “starting with the biggest one first,” if the country does not allow all ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran began restricting passage through the strait after the United States and Israel launched their second war against Iran in less than nine months, even as Tehran and Washington were engaged in nuclear negotiations. Since early March, only ships belonging to or bound for countries that have not contributed to the U.S.-Israeli aggression against Iran have been allowed to transit the waterway, through which over 20% of the world’s energy used to pass daily. This means that in addition to U.S. and Israeli-linked vessels, ships connected to Europe, the Arab Persian Gulf nations, and several other countries have been barred from moving through the Strait. Reports suggest that Chinese, Turkish, Pakistani, and some Indian vessels have been permitted to pass.

After failing to force the Strait open through bombings on civilian infrastructure and failing to get Washington’s European and Asian allies to intervene, Trump took to social media Saturday afternoon to announce that he would attack Iran’s power grids if it does not allow all ships to pass within 48 hours.

“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE!” he wrote on X. Only hours earlier, Trump had said that he has obliterated all of Iran’s military capabilities and even “blown Iran off the map.”

How does law view attacks on energy infrastructure?

Under both international humanitarian law and the U.S. Department of Defense Law of War Manual, attacking a country’s energy infrastructure—including power plants—is illegal, as such facilities are presumed to be civilian objects protected from direct attack. The law prioritizes the protection of civilians and the infrastructure essential to their survival, and attacks on power grids are treated as inherently suspect—and in many cases, as war crimes.

Over the past few years, Western states and international institutions have consistently classified attacks on power infrastructure as war crimes when carried out by Russia in Ukraine.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russian military and political officials specifically for alleged attacks on Ukrainian power plants and electrical grids. The United States Department of State has repeatedly stated that Russia’s alleged attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure constitute crimes against humanity. The European Union, NATO, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have made similar assertions.

During previous attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, Trump feigned ignorance, and U.S. media reported on the first ruptures emerging between Israel and the U.S. during the current war. 

After Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars Gas Field and damaged some facilities last week, Tehran responded by striking energy sites across the Persian Gulf where the U.S. holds stakes or has commercial ties, including the Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, the SAMREF Refinery in Saudi Arabia, the Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah Refineries in Kuwait, as well as the Habshan Gas Facility and Bab Oil Field in the UAE. Shortly after, Trump claimed Israel alone was responsible for the initial attacks on South Pars and that such assaults would not happen again.

Iran says it will respond

Iranian authorities have said multiple times since the war began that any attacks on its energy infrastructure would be met with far larger attacks on U.S.-linked facilities in the region. Following Trump’s latest threats, Iranian officials reiterated those warnings.

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has warned that any attack on the country’s electricity generation infrastructure would trigger counterattacks resulting in a blackout across the entire region.

“Attacking public facilities is tantamount to directly targeting the people and constitutes a clear violation of humanitarian principles and international law. The Islamic Republic of Iran will act decisively in defense of its nation and territory,” Aref said. “An attack on Iran's infrastructure will cause widespread blackouts across the region.”

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made similar remarks on social media. Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, said his country will respond to the enemy’s “nonsense and reckless threats on the battlefield.”

The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the body overseeing the war, also issued a statement on Trump’s threats.

“We have said repeatedly that the Strait of Hormuz is closed only to the enemy and to traffic that threatens us. It has not yet been fully closed, and it remains under our smart control,” the statement read, adding that should the U.S. president act on his threats, “The Strait of Hormuz will be closed completely and will not be reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt.”

The headquarters also said that after attacks on Iranian energy sites, all power plants, energy infrastructure, and information technology (ICT) infrastructure in Israel will be targeted, all companies in the region with American shareholders will be destroyed, and all power plants in regional countries that host U.S. bases will be considered legitimate targets.

“We did not start this war, and we will not start it now. But if the enemy inflicts damage on our power plants, we will do whatever it takes to defend our country and the interests of our people,” the statement added.

Iran has over 100 power plants scattered across the country. Its biggest provides about 2.9% of the country’s electricity needs. Israel and the Arab Persian Gulf countries, however, each rely on a handful of facilities to meet their needs.