Adv. Uri Morad of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice says Iran deliberately targeted civilians during the late February–early April 2026 conflict, employing tactics intended to overwhelm Israel’s air defenses. The JIJ report alleges systematic violations of international humanitarian and customary law, highlighting the IRGC’s use of cluster munitions and an estimated 2,300 missiles, with roughly 15–20% striking populated areas. JIJ urges accountability through the ICC or national courts using universal jurisdiction and has sent the report to some 40 diplomatic missions and UN mandate holders to press for action.
Report: Iran Deliberately Targeted Civilians; JIJ Urges ICC And Universal‑Jurisdiction Action Against IRGC Leaders
Rocket trails are seen in the sky amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya on March 23, 2026. (photo credit: Jack GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)
Adv. Uri Morad, director of international law and public diplomacy at the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ), says Iran employed a deliberate military strategy of targeting civilian populations during the conflict from late February through early April 2026. Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Morad described the pattern as systematic and directed from senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders rather than the result of accidental strikes.
Findings From the JIJ Report
Morad was a lead author of JIJ’s report, “Indiscriminate Fire: The Legal Case Against Iran’s 2026 Missile Campaign,” which documents Tehran’s missile and drone campaign and its reliance on a strategy designed to exhaust Israel’s air defenses. JIJ estimates roughly 2,300 missiles were fired in the campaign, most aimed at Israel, and asserts that Iranian planners expected about 15–20% of those projectiles to fall in densely populated areas.
“What the Jerusalem Institute of Justice legal team found is that Iran’s breach of international humanitarian law, and mainly customary international law, throughout the latest round was systematic,” Morad said. “It came from the senior commanders of the IRGC targeting civilians in densely populated areas. And that was a tactic of war, not accidental.”
Weapons and Legal Concerns
Morad highlighted the IRGC’s systematic use of cluster munitions — missiles that disperse dozens of submunitions across areas that can extend up to ten kilometers. Individual bomblets typically weigh about one to one-and-a-half kilograms and may detonate in the air, on impact, or remain unexploded and function as de facto landmines, presenting prolonged danger to civilians.
Because cluster munitions cannot reliably discriminate between military targets and civilians in populated areas, JIJ argues their use violates the principle of distinction under international humanitarian law and customary law. Morad said the IRGC leadership must have anticipated substantial collateral damage, making the practice unlawful.
Iranian rocket trails over Jerusalem on February 28, 2026. (credit: Faiz Abu Rmeleh / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
Paths to Accountability
Morad outlined two legal tracks JIJ is promoting: proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and national prosecutions using universal jurisdiction in Western countries. Although Iran is not a party to the Rome Statute, Morad noted the ICC could assert jurisdiction over crimes that occurred on the territories of state parties—citing allegations that some strikes impacted Cypriot and Jordanian soil, and both countries are ICC members.
Morad emphasized that the ICC prosecutes individuals, not states, and said JIJ expects eventual requests for arrest warrants targeting senior Iranian and IRGC figures, including statements that warrants could be sought against Iran’s supreme leader and other high‑ranking officials. He cautioned, however, that tangible legal outcomes would likely take time and urged realistic expectations.
Advocacy And Next Steps
JIJ has distributed the report to approximately 40 diplomatic missions and to UN mandate holders, including special rapporteurs and officials who report to UN Secretary‑General António Guterres, asking them to reflect the findings in upcoming reports and to press for concrete measures. Morad said the report’s immediate goal is to shift the conversation from politics to legal accountability and to create a sustained “dynamic of pressure” on states and international bodies to act—ranging from condemnations and UN resolutions to investigations and prosecutions.
Context and Caution: While JIJ’s findings are detailed and specific, Morad acknowledged the limits of immediate enforcement and the political and practical hurdles that will shape any international legal response.
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