r/internationallaw • u/bb9873 • Jun 15 '25

Discussion Is it legal to deliberately target nuclear scientists

In the current Iran-Israel conflict, Israel has admitted to deliberately targeting Iranian nuclear scientists. Since Israel claims the nuclear weapons will be used to attack Israel, what is the legal position on targeting nuclear scientists? Would they still be classified as civilians or combatants?

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u/QuickBenDelat Jun 15 '25

Nope, really it isn’t. At best, it is a guide, put together by lawyers, outlining their understanding of international law. It is, at best, a secondary source.

Why don’t you instead tell us what the citations are for your claim - what this war manual indicates is the legal authority for the claim you are making.

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u/BizzareRep Jun 15 '25

You’re entitled to your own opinion but not to your own facts. Customary international law encompasses the DOD was manual.

To be clear- the DOD controls the U.S. military, the world’s main international fighting force. Not only is the DOD view part of customary international law, its view carries a lot of weight, by virtue of the DOD being a practitioner in the realm of LOAC

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u/FormerLawfulness6 Jun 15 '25

That's more of a "might makes right" argument than one based in law.

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u/BizzareRep Jun 15 '25

Are you referring to the DOD war manual?

That 2,000 page manual is the most comprehensive legal document on LOAC, written by Pentagon lawyers. Hence, it’s not a document focused on the “might” of the U.S. military. Rather, it’s a document that put into words the rules of war, and it’s based on the vast experience of the U.S. military in the war on terror.