As tension over the Strait of Hormuz escalates, President Trump has issued several threats directed towards energy infrastructure and bridges. These threats have triggered concern among international law experts. CERL Advisory Council Member Mary Ellen O’Connell warns that even if energy infrastructure is being used to transport military assets, it cannot be targeted if doing so means that civilians and/or their property are put at risk. 

Mary Ellen O’Connell is the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law and Research Professor of International Dispute Resolution—Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. Read her bio here.  

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.