Laws of Armed Conflict
Distinction, Proportionality, and Military Targets
International Humanitarian Law (IHL), codified in the four Geneva Conventions (1949) and their Additional Protocols (1977), governs the conduct of warfare. The core principles relevant to Iran's attacks are:
Distinction: Parties to a conflict must at all times distinguish between civilians and civilian objects on the one hand and combatants and military objectives on the other. Only military objectives may be attacked.
Proportionality: Attacks must not cause civilian harm that would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage gained.
Precaution: Parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize civilian casualties.
When the IRGC explicitly targeted Israeli military bases and the Defence Ministry, it was invoking the principle of distinction — these are legitimate military targets under IHL. However, when missiles miss their targets and strike civilian areas (as happened in the Tel Aviv area killing a civilian), the proportionality and precaution principles become relevant.
- The four Geneva Conventions were adopted in August 1949; India is a signatory.
- Additional Protocol I (1977) elaborates on the principles of distinction and proportionality for international armed conflicts.
- "Perfidy" — feigning civilian status to attack — is prohibited under IHL; Iran's stated policy of targeting military infrastructure avoids this charge.
- The US-Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei are themselves subject to IHL scrutiny: targeting a head of state in wartime is governed by the Hague Regulations (1907), which prohibit "treacherous killing" but permit targeting enemy command-and-control.
● Tracked since March 01, 2026 · last seen March 15, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes