Top EU official says any targeting of energy sites would be “illegal” after Trump threat

European Council President António Costa warned Monday that the targeting of energy facilities would be “illegal and unacceptable” after US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

Without directly referencing Trump’s comments, Costa said the “targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable.”

The White House has said the US military would always act in accordance with the law, but legal experts have told CNN that attacks on civilian infrastructure such as power facilities would likely constitute a war crime.

“The Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime. It would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign,” Costa posted on X.

On Sunday, Trump appeared to threaten Iran’s critical infrastructure, writing on social media, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” while calling on Tehran to “open the Fuckin’ Strait.”

Costa said the European Union also urges Iran – which has targeted energy facilities in Persian Gulf countries – to “put an end to its attacks against countries in the region and to allow for the reestablishment of full freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Source: CNN

-- Agencies