Scott Detrow

Striking civilian targets has long been off-limits under international law.

What does accountability look like if those actions come from the world's biggest superpowers?

From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow.

President Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure across Iran if the country doesn't come to the negotiating table, including the country's desalination plants vital for drinking water in the arid Gulf.

And this week, Kuwaiti authorities said Iran had attacked one of their desalination plants.

Deliberately attacking civilian infrastructure is a war crime under international law.

But

So how can allegations of war crimes fly by without accountability?

Gabor Rona is going to tackle this big question with us.

He directs the Law and Armed Conflict Project at Cardozo Law School and previously was a legal advisor to the Red Cross.

Welcome to the show.

I want to start with this.

Let's hear something from White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, who was asked about the president's comments.

And here's what she said.

That's what the press secretary says.

The Pentagon has repeatedly said the United States does not deliberately target civilians.

And yet the president is talking about attacking a desalination plant.

Would that be a war crime?

Help us understand a little bit more, just because I think you cannot overexplain this enough, right?

Like, here's an example.