Tag

#proportionality

The IHL principle that attacks must not cause civilian harm excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated. Incidents involve disproportionate military strikes causing excessive collateral damage.

3 incidents

Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Trump Threats to Obliterate Iran's Civilian Power Infrastructure

Trump's explicit threats to destroy Iran's civilian power infrastructure escalated from 'obliterate' to a promise of 'complete demolition' of every bridge and power plant. Amnesty International characterised them as threats to commit war crimes; no tribunal or UN body has found a threat itself criminal, and a threat is not a listed Rome Statute act. Strikes that were later carried out on Iranian bridges and power infrastructure are assessed in their own entries.

Grade 5 of 5: International Crime (Rome Statute)

US Strikes on Ras Issa Fuel Port Kill 84+ Civilians in Yemen

US airstrikes on Yemen's most critical civilian port infrastructure killed 84+ civilians including three children, port workers, truck drivers, and civil defense personnel. HRW found the strikes an apparent war crime: CENTCOM's stated aim of depriving the Houthis of fuel revenue does not make the port a military objective, and even if valid military objectives were attacked, the civilian harm most likely made the attack unlawfully disproportionate.

Grade 5 of 5: International Crime (Rome Statute)

Operation Rough Rider: US Killed More Civilians in 52 Days Than in Previous 23 Years in Yemen

A 53-day US bombing campaign in Yemen produced an unprecedented civilian death toll, with Airwars documenting at least 224 civilian deaths — nearly matching the 258 it recorded over the previous 23 years of US operations in Yemen. Two incidents, the Ras Isa port strike and the Saada migrant detention centre strike, reach the war-crime threshold at the probable level.