Scarborough: U.S. Strikes On Iranian Oil Infrastructure Would Be ‘War Crime’

military force. HAAKE: “Why is the president threatening what would amount to potentially a war crime with the U.S. military?” LEAVITT: “...the United States Armed Forces has capabilities beyond their wildest imagination, and the president is not afraid to use them.” Co-host Mika Brzezinski framed the exchange as involving possible U.S. attacks on “civilian infrastructure.” Scarborough’s response was categorical: SCARBOROUGH: “That’s a war crime, by the way.” The self-described “simple country lawyer” rendered his verdict with unequivocal certainty. That kind of certainty disregards the actual legal standard. Under the Geneva Conventions, attacking infrastructure is not automatically a war crime if it serves a military purpose or qualifies as a dual-use target, subject to proportionality and necessity. Oil infrastructure, in particular, can directly fund and sustain a nation’s military operations—making it a classic dual-use target and a logical focus of wartime strategy. WATCH — Scarborough: U.S. Strikes on Iran Oil Sites Would Be ‘War Crime’ pic.twitter.com/O5OnrVm74t — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) March 31, 2026 Moreover, in the current conflict, the U.S. military has explicitly warned Iranian civilians in advance of potential strikes. U.S. Central Command urged civilians to “stay at home,” cautioning that areas tied to military operations could become legitimate targets. CENTCOM also warned civilians to avoid ports used by Iranian forces, noting such sites can lose protected status under international law. Israel has issued similar warnings. The Israel Defense Forces have alerted civilians to evacuate areas around military-industrial sites, including facilities tied to Iran’s nuclear program, ahead of potential strikes. That stands in stark contrast to World War II. The firebombing of Dresden killed an estimated 25,000 people, while the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed more than 170,000 by the end of 1945, including tens of thousands killed instantly—without comparable advance warnings to civilian populations. But on Morning Joe, Scarborough reduced that complexity to a single, five-word verdict. Here's the transcript. MS NOW Morning Joe 3/31/26 6:00 am EDT GARRETT HAAKE: Why is the president threatening what would amount to potentially a war crime with the U.S. military? And how do you square that with the administration repeatedly saying that the U.S. does not target civilians? KAROLINE LEAVITT: Look, the president has made it quite clear to the Iranian regime at this moment in time, as evidenced by the statement that you just read, that their best move is to make a deal, or else the United States armed forces has capabilities beyond their wildest imagination, and the president is not afraid to use them. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, dodging a question yesterday about President Trump suggesting the United States could attack civilian infrastructure if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. SCARBOROUGH: That's a war crime, by the way. Mark Finkelstein Thu, 04/02/2026 - 14:16 Marketing Timing Timely Search Engine Title Scarborough: U.S. Strikes On Iranian Oil Infrastructure Would Be ‘War Crime’ CNS Commentary Off