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Iran War Simulation

Written By Jonathan Milner
GoPo Current Events Lab: Bombs, Power Plants & War Crimes | Social Studies Lab
Social Studies LabGoPo Current Events Lab
🐾 0 pts
Roger
AP Gov • Unit 3: Civil Liberties + Civil Rights

Should the U.S. Bomb Civilian Power Plants?

Before we dive in, let's see where the class stands. Choose your position — then after the lesson, we'll take the poll again and see if anyone changed their mind. (Roger has opinions. He will share them.)

🗳️ PRE-LESSON POLL — BEFORE YOU READ ANYTHING

The Question

President Trump threatened to bomb Iran's civilian power plants if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz. Should the United States be allowed to bomb civilian infrastructure as part of military operations?

📰 THE ARTICLE — ROGER-APPROVED READING LEVEL

Bombs, Power Plants, and the Rules of War

Original reporting by the New York Times, March 2026 | Adapted for AP Gov students by Roger the GoPoPup 🐾

Here is the situation: In March 2026, President Trump posted on social media that if Iran did not "FULLY OPEN" the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the United States would bomb Iranian power plants — starting with the biggest one first. He later extended the deadline.

💬 Trump's actual post: "If Iran doesn't FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!"

Why does this matter legally? International humanitarian law — specifically Article 52 of the Geneva Conventions' first additional protocol — prohibits military forces from attacking civilian objects. Power plants, water treatment facilities, and electrical grids are considered civilian infrastructure. When they go dark, ordinary people lose heat, clean water, refrigeration, and hospital power.

📜 Article 52, Geneva Convention Protocol I: Attacks must be limited to military targets. Civilian objects — including power infrastructure — are protected unless they are being used for military purposes AND attacking them does not cause excessive civilian harm.

What did human rights experts say? Kenneth Roth, former director of Human Rights Watch, said Trump was "openly threatening a war crime." He drew a direct comparison to 2024, when the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants to Russian military officers for attacking Ukraine's electric grid — the exact same type of infrastructure Trump was threatening to target in Iran.

Wait — so Russia did the same thing in Ukraine? Yes. In 2024, the ICC charged four Russian commanders specifically for attacking Ukrainian power infrastructure — not military bases, power plants — killing civilians and plunging cities into darkness during winter. Critics argue Trump's threat describes the same action.

But can the U.S. military even DO this differently? Yes, actually. Since the 1990s the Pentagon has developed specialized weapons called Power Distribution Denial Munitions — essentially devices that temporarily short out power grids using carbon fiber strands rather than explosives, without permanently destroying them. The U.S. used these in Yugoslavia in 1999 and Iraq in 2003. A Pentagon official told the Times in 2026 that the military did not plan to completely destroy Iranian plants — but could disable them.

What is the broader picture? Sarah Yager of Human Rights Watch warned that threats against civilian infrastructure are becoming normalized across all sides — the U.S., Iran, and Israel — and that this "erodes the very rules designed to protect civilians in war."

🔗 AP Gov Connection: This story touches directly on civil liberties (the rights of foreign civilians under international law), separation of powers (who has the authority to order military strikes?), and the War Powers Resolution — all Unit 3 and Unit 2 content you will see on the AP exam.
📖 KEY TERMS GLOSSARY

Words You Need to Know

These terms appear in the article AND on the AP exam. Roger has helpfully added AP connections. You are welcome. 🐾

Geneva Conventions
A series of international treaties (1864–1949) that establish the rules of war — including how soldiers, prisoners, and civilians must be treated during armed conflict. Nearly every country in the world has signed them.
📌 AP Connection: Civil liberties — the idea that people have fundamental rights even in wartime is related to the broader concept of natural rights from Federalist No. 51 and the Declaration of Independence.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
The body of international law that limits the effects of armed conflict to protect people who are not fighting. IHL includes the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols. It is sometimes called the "laws of war."
📌 AP Connection: IHL is to international conflict what the Bill of Rights is to domestic government — it sets boundaries on what powerful actors can do to individuals.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
A permanent international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The United States is NOT a member of the ICC, though it helped create it.
📌 AP Connection: Connects to judicial review and the idea that some laws operate above elected governments — relevant to Unit 4 (institutions) and Marbury v. Madison.
War Crime
A serious violation of international humanitarian law committed during armed conflict — such as deliberately targeting civilians, using prohibited weapons, or attacking civilian infrastructure without military necessity.
📌 AP Connection: The ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian commanders for the same actions Trump threatened. This raises questions about equal application of international law — a civil rights concept applied globally.
Strait of Hormuz
A narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply passes. If Iran closed it, global energy markets would be severely disrupted — which is exactly why it is a major point of geopolitical leverage.
📌 AP Connection: Think Commerce Clause — Congress regulates commerce, but the President controls foreign policy and troop deployments. Who gets to respond to a blockade?
Civilian Infrastructure
Facilities that serve the general population — power grids, water systems, hospitals, telecommunications networks. Under international law, these cannot be targeted unless they are being used for military purposes.
📌 AP Connection: Eminent Domain — the government can take private property for public use, but cannot destroy it without due process. Internationally, the same principle applies to civilian infrastructure.
War Powers Resolution (1973)
A U.S. law requiring the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying military forces and limiting unauthorized deployments to 60 days without Congressional approval. Presidents have consistently disputed its constitutionality.
📌 AP Connection: THIS IS ON THE AP EXAM. Separation of powers — Congress declares war (Article I), President commands forces (Article II). The War Powers Resolution tries to balance both.
Commander in Chief
The President's constitutional role as the highest military authority (Article II, Section 2). Presidents have used this clause to justify broad unilateral military action without formal Congressional declarations of war.
📌 AP Connection: THIS IS DEFINITELY ON THE AP EXAM. Article II powers — know the tension between Commander in Chief clause and Congress's war declaration power cold.
Human Rights Watch
An international non-governmental organization (NGO) that investigates and reports on human rights abuses around the world. It is one of the most prominent civil society watchdog organizations.
📌 AP Connection: Interest groups — NGOs like Human Rights Watch function as interest groups in foreign policy, attempting to influence government action through reports, advocacy, and media pressure.
⚡ FACT SHEET: Iran's Electrical Infrastructure

Who Controls the Lights in Iran — And Who Would Lose Them?

Before deciding whether to bomb something, it helps to know what it actually is. Roger investigated. Here is what he found. 🐾

🏭

Iran Generates ~90,000 Megawatts of Power

Iran has about 90,000 MW of installed electricity generation capacity — roughly comparable to Texas. The grid serves 85 million people. Major plants are operated by Tavanir, a state-owned company under the Ministry of Energy.

🏛️

The Iranian Government Owns and Controls the Grid

Iran's electricity sector is state-owned. The government controls generation, transmission, and distribution. The Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has significant influence over major infrastructure. There is no meaningful separation between "civilian" and "government" ownership.

🏥

85 Million Civilians Would Be Directly Impacted

If Iran's major power plants were destroyed: hospitals would lose power (backup generators have limited fuel), water treatment plants would stop functioning, food refrigeration would fail, heating and cooling systems would go dark. Most Iranian civilians have no individual power backup. The effects would be felt within hours and persist for months or years.

🔬

Some Facilities Have Both Civilian and Military Uses

Like most national grids, Iran's power infrastructure serves both civilian and military purposes. The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant generates civilian electricity but is part of Iran's nuclear program. Military bases draw from the civilian grid. International law requires a case-by-case analysis of "dual use" facilities.

🌍

Russia vs. Iran: A Comparison

Russia attacked Ukraine's power grid beginning in 2022. By winter 2023, millions of Ukrainians lost heat, water, and electricity. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian commanders in 2024. Critics argue the legal analysis of Trump's Iran threat is identical — a point human rights lawyers made publicly in 2026.

⚠️

The "Dual Use" Question

Under international law, attacking dual-use infrastructure is permitted ONLY if: (1) it provides direct military advantage, (2) the attack is proportional — meaning the expected civilian harm is not excessive relative to the military gain — and (3) precautions are taken to minimize civilian casualties. All three conditions must be met simultaneously. Courts have found this test difficult to satisfy for national power grids.

💣

What the U.S. Actually Has in Its Arsenal

The Pentagon has two options: (1) destroy plants with conventional bombs — permanent, illegal under most interpretations of IHL, and (2) use "Power Distribution Denial Munitions" — carbon fiber weapons that temporarily disable grids without physically destroying them. The U.S. used option 2 in Yugoslavia (1999) and Iraq (2003). Pentagon officials told the Times in 2026 that option 2 was the more likely scenario.

✅ READING CHECK QUIZ

Roger Quizzes You. Show Him What You Know.

7 questions. Roger will give you a hint if you get one wrong. He is generous like that. 🐾

Score: 0 / 7
⚖️ WAR POWERS: WHO DECIDES?

Congress vs. the President — Let the Cage Match Begin

This is one of the great unsettled constitutional questions in American history. Congress has the power to declare war. The President is Commander in Chief. So who gets to decide to bomb Iranian power plants? Both? Neither? One of them definitely thinks they do. 🥊

For each scenario, decide: CONGRESS must authorize this, the PRESIDENT can do this alone, or it is DISPUTED (the honest answer in most real cases).

💣 TEAM SIMULATION

You Are Now the National Security Council

Welcome to the Situation Room. Iran has not opened the Strait of Hormuz. The President wants a recommendation from your team. You have three options and approximately four minutes to decide. Good luck. Roger is watching. 🐾

⚠️ RELEVANT LAW — READ BEFORE YOU DECIDE

Article 52, Geneva Convention Protocol I: Civilian objects may not be attacked unless they contribute directly to military action AND attacking them provides a definite military advantage.

War Powers Resolution (1973), 50 U.S.C. §1541: The President must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying armed forces and cannot maintain deployments beyond 60 days without Congressional authorization.

18 U.S.C. §2441 (War Crimes Act): U.S. nationals who commit war crimes — including grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions — may be criminally prosecuted in U.S. federal courts.

📊 LIVE CLASS DECISION
RESULTS UPDATING
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🔴 Strike
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🟢 No Strike
📊 POST-LESSON POLL — DID THE LESSON CHANGE YOUR MIND?

Round 2: Same Question. New Brain.

You have now read the article, studied the law, examined the fact sheet, wrestled with the war powers question, and simulated a national security decision. Time to vote again. Has your position shifted?

Jonathan Milner

Civics Maven!

https://www.gopopro.com/
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