Information requested on how targeting decisions were made in the Iran war, and whether they followed U.S. law, military rules, and the law of armed conflict

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Democracy Defenders Fund today filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records related to possible illegal targeting decisions made during the Iran War and separately asked the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General to investigate potential violations of Department of Defense policies related to these decisions.

These requests are being sent after President Trump and Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Age.” International law of armed conflict and the Department’s own policies prohibit threats aimed at terrorizing the civilian population of another country. DDF is now seeking to uncover the background behind these threats and the Department’s apparent willingness to carry out the attacks if Iran failed to comply with the President’s demand to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

The FOIA calls for the release of any memoranda, legal analyses or internal communications used to justify decisions related to targeting civilian infrastructure or so-called “dual use” targets during the Iran war. DDF’s letter to the Department’s OIG raises concerns about whether the Department’s decisions to target this infrastructure may have violated the law of armed conflict, the Department of Defense Law of War Manual, or established Department policies governing armed conflict. The filings follow broader concerns about the legal basis for the conflict.

“The public has a right to know how targeting decisions were made, what legal justifications were relied upon and whether those actions complied with U.S. and international law,” said Virginia Canter, chief counsel and director of ethics and anti-corruption at Democracy Defenders Fund. “The requested information and investigation are necessary to ensure accountability and determine whether proper procedures and legal standards were followed in the conduct of military operations.”

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.