Israel and US attacks on Iran's civilian infrastructure constitute warfare against Iranian development and people
Source: Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi. "Israel and the US Have Been Waging War on Iran’s Development." April 12, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that Israel and the US are deliberately destroying Iran's factories, hospitals, and research centers - not to fight terrorism, but to keep Iran from developing as a modern country. This hurts ordinary Iranians who work in these places and need their services, not just the government.
Conclusion
Israeli and US strikes on Iran's industrial, scientific, and medical infrastructure constitute systematic warfare against Iranian development and the Iranian people, not just their government
Premises
- Israeli strikes destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity and 85% of petrochemical exports, targeting economic rather than military infrastructure
- Attacks targeted civilian institutions like the century-old Pasteur Institute and pharmaceutical companies that serve public health needs
- The targeted infrastructure was built by Iranian workers, engineers, and scientists over decades and serves the Iranian population's basic needs
- The 'dual-use' justification has become so elastic that virtually any civilian infrastructure can be classified as a legitimate military target
- This pattern of targeting Iranian development spans over 80 years, indicating a systematic Western effort to prevent Iranian industrial self-sufficiency regardless of government
- The destruction primarily harms Iranian civilians who depend on these facilities for employment, healthcare, and basic services
Assumptions
- Targeting civilian infrastructure that serves basic human needs is inherently an attack on the population, not just the government
- Industrial and scientific capacity represents legitimate national development that should be protected under international law
- The Israeli government's stated military justifications are pretextual rather than genuine
- There is a meaningful distinction between legitimate military targets and civilian infrastructure