A Human Rights Watch report dated March 26, 2026, documents widespread violations of international humanitarian law one month into an escalating Middle East conflict.

Senior officials from all sides have made statements that flout the laws of war: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared on March 13 that “no quarter” would be given to enemies in Iran, itself a war crime, while on March 21, President Trump threatened to destroy Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not fully opened within 48 hours, a threat he later postponed but did not revoke.

Iran’s military responded by threatening to destroy power plants, energy infrastructure, and IT systems across Israel and any regional country hosting US bases, while Iranian police commander Ahmad-Reza Radan warned on March 10 that protesters would be treated as enemies and shot, with the IRGC following up the next day with threats of an even harsher crackdown than the January massacres.

Israeli officials threatened Iranian government representatives in Lebanon with targeting, and signaled intent to forcibly displace residents and destroy civilian homes. Confirmed violations in the first month include a US strike on a primary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing scores of civilians including children; Israel’s use of white phosphorus over homes and targeting of financial institutions in Lebanon; Iranian attacks on hotels, residential buildings, and airports in the Gulf; Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz; Israeli and Iranian strikes on oil and gas infrastructure; and Iran’s use of internationally banned cluster munitions against Israel.

Compounding the crisis, all parties have imposed sweeping media censorship, Iran shut down the internet and arrested hundreds, the US threatened broadcaster licenses, Israel banned certain live reporting, and Hezbollah banned all filming in south Beirut.

HRW calls on world leaders to invoke their obligations under Common Article 1 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions to actively pressure all parties to respect international humanitarian law, condemn violations, and ensure accountability, warning that ongoing impunity, including for war crimes in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has fueled the current dangerous disregard for civilian protections.