In a post on X on Thursday, Baghaei said obedience to “superior orders” does not absolve individuals of responsibility for war crimes.

He said the ruling establishment in the US seeks to sacrifice the remaining principles of international humanitarian law and the basic standards of human ethics and civilization in pursuit of its “insatiable appetite for war and slaughter.”

He added that any policy calling for the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, is “manifestly unlawful and criminal.”

“It constitutes reprisal and collective punishment—both of which are explicitly prohibited as war crimes under international humanitarian law and U.S. domestic law alike, specifically under 18 U.S.C. § 2441 (the War Crimes Act),” the Iranian spokesperson reiterated.

Baghaei emphasized that there is no statute of limitations for such offenses, saying, “The Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Department of Defense Law of War Manual make it unequivocally clear that service members have both a legal and moral duty to refuse manifestly unlawful orders.”

He also affirmed Iran’s seriousness and resolve to stand against “lawlessness and the flouting of the law.”

DID/TSN