Source: UN News: Thursday, 09 April 2026 00:02 AM
The United Nations has expressed deep concern over US President Donald Trump’s statement in which he has threatened to attack and demolish the country’s energy plants, bridges and other civilian facilities if Iran does not reach an agreement. On February 28, Israel and the United States started aerial bombing of Iran, after which Iran has targeted Israel and countries in the Gulf region with drone and missile attacks. Due to the crisis raging in the Middle East, the movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway for the supply of oil, gas, fertilizers and other goods, has also come to a standstill due to which fuel shortage is being felt in many parts of the world. According to the news media, US President Donald Trump in his message on social media has demanded Iran to open this waterway by Tuesday, although Iran has rejected it. On Monday, a journalist at UN Headquarters in New York asked UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric to respond to US President Donald Trump’s statement in which he reportedly threatened to destroy power plants, bridges and other infrastructure in Iran if the Strait of Hormuz does not open. The UN spokesperson responded that the Secretary-General is concerned by statements on social media that “condemn Iran for not agreeing to the deal.” In the event of a conflict, US attacks on power plants, bridges and other facilities have been threatened. Stephane Dujarric said that the Secretary-General has been very clear on issues related to international law, and he has again urged the warring parties to fulfill their agreed obligations during this conflict. Additionally, they note that civilian installations, including energy infrastructure, cannot be attacked, even if specific civilian installations are being used for military purposes. According to the UN spokesperson, attacks on these facilities are prohibited under international humanitarian law even if they result in widespread harm to civilians. Violations of international law “Once again, the Secretary-General stresses that it is time for all parties to end this conflict, as there are no other viable alternatives to the peaceful settlement of international disputes.” Another journalist asked on the same topic. In the opinion of the Secretary General, can such attacks be classified as war crimes? UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric responded that such incidents would be a violation of international law. “In my view, whether it is a crime or not will have to be decided by a court, but any attack on civilian facilities is a violation of international law, and that is very clear.”
