Iran warns US troops against carrying out ‘manifestly unlawful’ orders

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei warned US service members on Thursday against carrying out orders to attack civilian infrastructure, saying such actions could amount to war crimes.

In a post on the US social media platform X, Baqaei said citing superior orders does not absolve individuals of criminal responsibility for war crimes.

"A policy that calls for the destruction of bridges and power plants is manifestly unlawful and criminal. It constitutes reprisal and collective punishment," he said.

Baqaei also cited US domestic law, including the War Crimes Act, as well as military legal standards requiring service members to refuse "manifestly unlawful orders."

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran in late February. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Gulf countries hosting US assets.

The US and Iran signed a Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding last month aimed at ending their conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement, but tensions escalated again last week over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides exchanging attacks.