An Iranian deputy minister has called for a nationwide “human chain” around the country’s power stations after US President Donald Trump threatened to target Iranian civilian infrastructure if Tehran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Reports on 6 and 7 April said the remarks marked a further escalation in already severe tensions surrounding the Gulf waterway and the wider conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
According to reports citing Iranian statements, Alireza Rahimi, deputy minister for youth and sport, appealed to young people, cultural figures, artists, athletes and sports champions to join what he described as a national campaign, titled “The Human Chain of Iranian Youth for a Bright Future”. He said participants would gather near power stations across Iran at 2pm local time on Tuesday in a symbolic demonstration against any attack on civilian infrastructure.
Rahimi said Iranians, regardless of political or religious differences, would stand together to declare that attacks on public infrastructure amount to a war crime. That wording reflects a broader debate now under way among legal experts and international observers after Trump publicly threatened to destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges unless the Strait of Hormuz was reopened. Associated Press reported that specialists in the laws of armed conflict warned that deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure not being used for military purposes could violate international humanitarian law.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the crisis. It is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, and about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows normally pass through it. Disruption to shipping through the strait has already had major consequences for regional exporters and global energy markets.
The move appears aimed at showing public support and drawing attention to the risk of strikes on civilian infrastructure. By calling people to gather around power stations, Iranian officials are presenting the sites as essential public facilities and warning against any attack on them. The planned action is intended to send a political message at home and abroad.
