(Washington, D.C., March 26, 2026) — In response to the deadline tomorrow, Friday, March 27, of President Trump's threatened strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure and the apparent lack of progress in U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations, DAWN issues the following statement:
"Threatening to destroy a country's electricity grid to coerce its government is textbook collective punishment. It is not a lawful military strategy. It is not a legitimate negotiating tactic. It is a war crime," said Omar Shakir, Executive Director at DAWN. "Cutting electricity prevents people with disabilities from using elevators, deprives pregnant women and young children of access to water and kills patients on ventilators. Such a move reeks of desperation and weakness, not strength."
"Trump's threat to attack Iran's civilian population, clear evidence of criminal intent, underscores the urgency of activating international accountability mechanisms," said Raed Jarrar, Advocacy Director at DAWN. "Iran and all states on whose territory war crimes have been committed should file Article 12(3) declarations accepting International Criminal Court jurisdiction."
"Iran should not respond to unlawful attacks by committing its own. The prohibition on attacking civilian infrastructure applies to every party to this conflict, including Iran," said Omid Memarian, Director of Communications and Senior Iran Analyst at DAWN. "Iran cannot justify striking Gulf electricity grids, water systems, or civilian facilities because the United States and Israel have done so. Every party that attacks civilian infrastructure is committing a war crime, and every party should be held accountable."
Background:
On March 21, 2026, President Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to "obliterate" Iranian power plants if Tehran did not comply. Iran rejected the ultimatum and threatened to strike power plants supplying US bases and desalination facilities across the Gulf should the U.S. attack Iranian power plants. On March 23, 2026, President Trump postponed the threatened strikes for five days, citing "very good and productive conversations" with Tehran. That window expires tomorrow, Friday, March 27, 2026.
The United States put forward a 15-point ceasefire proposal, which it transmitted to Iran via Pakistan. Iran rejected the proposal, calling it "extremely maximalist and unreasonable," and issued its own counterproposal that called for, among other things, reparations for war damages and recognizing Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
On March 2, 2026, DAWN called on Iran and all states in the region affected by the armed conflict to file Article 12(3) declarations with the International Criminal Court, granting the court jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute possible war crimes committed on their territory. The Rome Statute allows any state, whether or not a party to the court, to accept ICC jurisdiction over crimes committed on its soil by filing such a declaration.
