AI: When Bombing Railroads Becomes a War Crime An attack on a railway network crosses the line into a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it breaches three core legal principles: [1, 2] Violation of Proportionality: It is a war crime if the anticipated civilian harm (e.g., slaughtering passengers on a civilian train) is clearly excessive compared to the direct military benefit of disabling the tracks. [1, 2] Indiscriminate Attacks: Using unguided weapons on a railway station packed with evacuating civilians—without attempting to isolate military assets—constitutes an indiscriminate strike. [1, 2] Intentional Targeting of Civilians: Deliberately bombing a civilian train or station with the primary purpose of spreading terror or killing non-combatants is strictly illegal. [1, 2] Deprivation of Essentials: If destroying a specific railway line intentionally cuts off the civilian population from objects indispensable to their survival—such as starving them by halting all incoming food and medical aid—it violates ICC Article 8(2). [1] As I said, war crime. The line was bombed solely so that civilians could not get to Khameinei's funeral.
