US 'Can't Guarantee' Safety of Civilians Inside or Near Facilities Used by Iranian Military

JAKARTA - The United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) on Sunday said it "cannot guarantee" the safety of civilians inside or near facilities used by Iran for military purposes, warning that the location could be a "legitimate military target under international law."

Iranian authorities "use densely populated civilian areas to conduct military operations, including launching one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles" from cities such as Dezful, Isfahan, and Shiraz, CENTCOM said in a statement on social media X, quoted by Anadolu (9/3).

US CENTCOM said this practice "endangers the lives of all civilians in Iran" because the locations used "for military purposes lose their protected status and can become legitimate military targets under international law."

US CENTCOM issued a "safety alert to civilians in Iran" and urged civilians in Iran to stay at home and warned the Iranian authorities "to deliberately endanger the lives of innocent people."

"Iranian forces endanger the safety of civilians across the Middle East by deliberately and indiscriminately targeting civilian airports, hotels, and residential neighborhoods," the statement added.

The statement also quoted US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper as saying that "the Iranian terrorist regime is blatantly disregarding the lives of civilians by attacking Gulf partners while endangering the safety of their own people."

The statement said Iran had launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of one-way attack drones since February 28.

"However, the launch rate has dropped dramatically as US forces and partners destroy Iranian military capabilities."

US CENTCOM said US forces "take every possible precaution to minimize civilian casualties but cannot guarantee the safety of civilians inside or near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes. Unlike the Iranian regime, US forces do not target or deliberately risk the safety of civilians."

It is known that regional escalation in the Middle East has increased since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, which killed more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and injured more than 10,000 others.

Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Gulf states that host US military assets.