Iran confirmed that it will use civilians as human shields in the face of Trump's threat

The Iranian regime confirmed that it will use civilians as human shields to protect its power plants against the threat of a possible attack by the United States. State television announced that it will convene “creative young people” and “cultural figures” to form human chains around these strategic facilities, in a maneuver that constitutes a war crime under international law

The decision comes amid an unprecedented escalation with the Donald Trump administration, who issued an ultimatum: if Tehran does not agree to negotiate, power plants could be destroyed in a matter of hours.

Far from de-escalating the conflict, the Iranian regime chose to deliberately expose its own civilian population, using symbolic sectors of society — such as artists and students — to try to

deter an eventual military attack.

The use of human shields is expressly prohibited by international humanitarian law. This concept involves employing civilians to protect military objectives or prevent military operations, regardless of whether their participation is voluntary or forced

International organizations such as the UN have been forceful in this regard. In several recent conflicts, including the case of Mosul and Gaza, it has been reiterated that moving or using civilians to protect facilities constitutes a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court