The US and Iran have accused each other of attacking civilian infrastructure during their latest conflict. But are such strikes always illegal?
Moneycontrol World Desk
July 21, 2026 / 15:41 IST
Schools, hospitals and bridges are generally protected during war, but international law allows limited exceptions.
- US and Iran accuse each other of hitting civilian sites.
- Int’l law protects civilian sites, but not absolutely.
- Dual-use infrastructure complicates attack legality.
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As fighting between the United States and Iran intensifies, both sides have accused each other of attacking civilian infrastructure, raising questions over what international law actually says about such strikes.
Iran says recent US strikes have damaged bridges, hospitals, airports, water facilities and other civilian sites. Washington, meanwhile, says its operations are aimed at military objectives while accusing Tehran of targeting commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries hosting US forces.
Under international humanitarian law, civilian sites are generally protected from attack. But that protection is not absolute.
Here’s what the law says—and where the US and Iran say they have carried out strikes.
What counts as a civilian site?
Under the Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols, civilian objects are generally protected from attack.
The protection extends far beyond homes, schools and hospitals.Civilian infrastructure, which includes things like roads, bridges, rail lines, airports, harbors, power plants, water plants, and communications systems, is also an example of civilian objects.
Food supplies, agriculture, water supply systems, dams, and nuclear power plants receive additional protection under the law since any attack against these would cause serious humanitarian damage.
The basic rule is simple: civilian infrastructure cannot be deliberately targeted during armed conflict.
Can civilian infrastructure ever become a military target?
Yes, but only in certain situations.
In international humanitarian law, attacks can be made against civilian infrastructure when such structures are used in military actions and attacking them will create a clear military advantage.
However, the attacks must meet the proportionality rule, which implies that the military advantage of the attack must outweigh any damage to civilians.
As stated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in cases where there is uncertainty regarding the military use of a building or structure, such building or structure must be treated as civilian property.
International humanitarian law recognizes the difference between civilian objects and civilian casualties. Civilians may be harmed as a result of attacks carried out against military objectives. Nevertheless, attacking civilian infrastructure or attacks which involve the killing of many civilians with respect to little military advantage may be against the rules of war.
The debate has featured prominently in recent conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, where both sides have accused each other of attacking civilian infrastructure.
What have the US and Iran accused each other of hitting?
Iranian authorities say recent US strikes have damaged transport infrastructure, airports, desalination facilities, food storage sites and hospitals, particularly in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz.
Among the sites Tehran says were hit are Shahid Baghaei Hospital in Ahvaz, which authorities say had to evacuate patients after nearby strikes, and the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the facility was struck but said it contained no nuclear material and posed no radiological risk.
The United States has said its operations are aimed at military objectives. Defence analysts say some of the facilities may have been treated as dual-use infrastructure—sites that serve both civilian and military purposes.
Iran, meanwhile, says its missile and drone attacks are aimed at US military bases across the Gulf. However, authorities in several Gulf countries have reported damage to power infrastructure, commercial shipping and residential areas during attacks linked to the conflict.
Tehran maintains that its intended targets are US military assets rather than civilian infrastructure.
Could these attacks violate international law?
This depends on whether the targets were legal military objectives and whether the attack passes the proportionality test under the law.
There is no automatic prohibition by international humanitarian law against attacking facilities serving dual use for military purposes. Yet indiscriminate attacks or attacks that cause disproportionately more civilian casualties than expected military gain may be illegal according to the laws of war.
To determine legality of an attack, one must look into the nature of the target, the information known at the time of the attack, and its military objective. Legal experts say those assessments often take months or even years after a conflict ends.
Why does it matter?
Modern conflicts increasingly blur the line between civilian and military infrastructure.
The bridge can transport both civilian vehicles and military gear. The port can transport commercial goods as well as navy ships. The same applies to an airport.
That is why the cases of defining whether something should be considered as a legitimate military target become more and more common and very important for the competing narratives during the war.
Given that there is still ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, the claims related to strikes on civilian infrastructure would still play a major role in the diplomacy and legal processes. However, whether each particular strike was a violation of international law would be determined through investigation.
Moneycontrol World Desk
first published: Jul 21, 2026 03:40 pm
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